Yoon calls for firm readiness amid deepening N.K.-Russia defense ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered tight vigilance Monday in response to rising security concerns over the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Yoon stressed readiness for the military and the economic impact of the defense treaty signed between Pyongyang and Moscow, as well as the ongoing situation in the Middle East, during a meeting of senior secretaries, Lee Do-woon, senior secretary for public relations, said in a written briefing. "As the security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula is grave, we have to ensure robust security readiness," Yoon was quoted as saying. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty that commits each other to mutual defense and military technology cooperation. In response, the South Korean government said it will reconsider its ban on sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. Tension remains high as North Korean troops have crossed the border into the South on thr ee occasions this month while building walls and roads in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots. Source: Yonhap News Agency