South Korea, US warn against North Korea-Russia military ties ahead of Putin visit

FILE PHOTO: Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) -Senior officials of South Korea and the United States held an emergency phone call over a possible impending visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Friday.

South Korea's vice foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, in the phone call with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, said that Putin's visit should not result in deeper military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the ministry said.