Yoon expected to warn against N. Korea-Russia defense cooperation at NATO summit

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to warn against deepening defense cooperation between North Korea and Russia as he is set to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit this week, according to presidential officials on Sunday.

Yoon will visit Washington from Wednesday to Thursday to take part in the summit, becoming the first South Korean president to participate in the gathering for the third year in a row.

On Wednesday, Yoon will hold back-to-back talks with the heads of more than five NATO members, including the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Norway, as well as with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The talks are expected to discuss bilateral issues and the regional and global security situation, with a focus on energy and security cooperation.

Later that evening, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee will attend a dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, at the White House.

On Thursday, Yoon will participate in a summit between NATO's Indo-Pacific partners, which also include Japan, Australia and New Zealand, before attending the main NATO summit.

The gathering of the Indo-Pacific countries may produce a message critical of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said Friday Seoul seeks to send a "strong message" over the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea through the NATO summit.

"While sending a strong message against military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, (we) will discuss ways for cooperation with NATO to respond to this," he said in a briefing.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty pledging mutual military assistance in case either of them comes under attack, raising concerns over their deepening ties.

Meanwhile, possible bilateral summits with the United States and Japan as well as a trilateral one on the sidelines of the NATO summit have yet to be confirmed.

Yoon is also scheduled to make a speech at the NATO Public Forum, co-organized by NATO and five think tanks in the United States and Europe, on Thursday. It will mark the first time a South Korean president will make a speech at the forum.

Ahead of the NATO summit, Yoon will travel to Hawaii from Monday to Tuesday to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in a series of events intended to enhance the bilateral alliance.

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