South Korea regrets that Russia accuses Seoul of destabilizing the Korean Peninsula

Seoul, December 19 (IANS): South Korea regretted Thursday that Russia accused Seoul of “destabilizing” the Korean Peninsula by using North Korea’s provocations as a pretext to declare short-lived martial law.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday (local time) that South Korea constantly resorts to provocations to blame Pyongyang and that its government is responsible for destabilizing the region, according to Russian media.

His remarks were in response to a question about reports that President Yoon Suk Yeol and his allies tried to start a conflict with the North to justify martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported.

“It is inappropriate for a spokesperson of a foreign government to publicly make statements that not only distort the facts but also undermine our consistent policies by using the domestic political situation as an excuse,” a ministry official told reporters. of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.

“It is clear who has worsened the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” the official said, urging Russia and the North to “stop shifting responsibility for their unjust and illegal actions.”

“We urge them to immediately cease military cooperation that undermines peace and stability in Northeast Asia and Europe,” the official added.

Meanwhile, North Korea has defended its military alignment with Russia as a legitimate act against threats from the United States, but it has made no mention of deploying troops to Russia to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine or losses of its soldiers during the war.

“The hostile act of the United States and its vassal forces constitutes a serious threat that undermines the foundations of international peace and security, which goes beyond a politically motivated provocation unjustifiably encroaching on the sovereignty of sovereign states,” said the spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry.