Korea and France boost defense coordination over North Korea-Russia ties
South Korea and France agreed to strengthen defense coordination, military exercises and classified information sharing amid deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia.
Defense officials of South Korea and France have agreed to bolster strategic coordination in the face of deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said Saturday.
Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Kim Hong-cheol discussed security issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and Europe with Guillaume Ollagnier, director-general for international relations and strategy at the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans, during their strategic dialogue in Paris on Friday.
Exchanging assessments on North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral coordination given the increasing links between security in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific.
Kim outlined Korea’s policy toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, and asked for France’s continued attention and support to that end.
The officials also agreed to strengthen the institutional basis for defense cooperation, such as by revising the bilateral agreement on classified military information sharing.
They agreed to enhance interoperability between their militaries through combined exercises and other military exchanges.
YONHAP