US urges North Korea to halt escalation on peninsula
Photo: US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller (Getty Images)
The United States has urged North Korea to halt actions that could increase the risk of conflict with South Korea. This statement came in response to North Korea's destruction of border roads, according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
He noted that he held phone talks with Pyongyang, during which he called on the North Korean side to return to diplomacy.
"We are monitoring the situation in the DPRK in close coordination with our Republic of Korea allies. We continue to urge the DPRK to reduce tensions and cease any actions that would increase the risk of conflict, and we encourage the DPRK to return to dialogue and diplomacy," he said at a press briefing on October 15.
Miller also called for de-escalation in light of North Korea's recent accusations regarding an alleged South Korean drone incursion into Pyongyang.
"When it comes to the actions by the DPRK, we have seen them continue to take steps that raise tensions, and we will encourage – continue to encourage them to take the opposite path, to reduce tensions, and stop any actions that could increase the risk of conflict," the State Department spokesperson added.
Sending DPRK soldiers to Ukraine
Additionally, Miller expressed concern over media reports about the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.
"We are concerned by the reports of DPRK soldiers fighting on behalf of Russia. If that’s true, it would mark a significant increase in the relationship between those two countries, the relationship that you have seen develop over the past several months. It would also indicate a new level of desperation by Russia, as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield," Miller said.
White House National Security Adviser John Kirby, during an online briefing, could not confirm the deployment of North Korean soldiers but called the reports troubling.
"This, if true, would represent a significant deepening of that relationship (between the North and Russia). It would also, if true, indicate what I think can only be classified as a new level of desperation by Putin as he continues to try to make progress in Ukraine," Kirby said, as reported by Yonhap.
North Korean situation and support for Russia
Last week, tensions between North and South Korea began to escalate. Pyongyang accused Seoul of distributing propaganda leaflets filled with slander.
On October 11, North Korea accused South Korea of launching drones allegedly reaching Pyongyang and threatened military retaliation for the act.
On Tuesday, October 15, North Korea destroyed the Gyeonggi and Donghae roads near the military demarcation line dividing the Korean Peninsula. These roads were built to improve relations between the two rival nations.
Meanwhile, the US is concerned about the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.
