South Korea condemns North for selling arms to Russian military

South Korea condemned the North for selling arms to Russian military company Wagner Group. "The South Korean government paid attention to the White House's announcement that North Korea sold infantry rockets and missiles to the Russian company...

This photo provided by North Korea's state media Korean Central News Agency, shows what it says a test of a rocket with the test satellite at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea on Dec. 18, 2022. [AP/YONHAP]

South Korea condemned the North for selling arms to Russian military company Wagner Group.

“The South Korean government paid attention to the White House's announcement that North Korea sold infantry rockets and missiles to the Russian company Wagner Group last November, and condemns North Korea and the Wagner Group, which are undermining peace and stability in the international community by blatantly violating the Security Council resolutions,” it said in a statement Friday.

“We condemn the arms trade.”

All arms trade with North Korea is prohibited in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1718.

The White House told a group of reporters in Washington DC on Thursday that North Korea made “an initial delivery” of arms to Wagner that included infantry rockets and missiles.

These weapons, the White House said, were to support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

Both Pyongyang and Wagner have denied the reports.

The Wagner Group was established in 2014 after Russia annexed the Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

“The Korean government, along with the international community, is continuing its efforts to block North Korea's illegal arms trade and lead the faithful implementation of the resolution by all UN member states,” said the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]