President Lee Jae Myung, center, poses for a photo with Ursula von der Leyen, right, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, during their summit in Brussels, Wednesday. Yonhap
BRUSSELS — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and leaders of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday strongly condemned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, calling it illegal and a factor enabling Russia to continue its war on Ukraine.
The condemnation came in a joint statement adopted during Lee's summit talks with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, president of the European Council, held at the EU headquarters in Brussels.
The two sides condemned assistance by third parties, especially North Korea, that they said enables Russia to continue its aggression against Ukraine, according to the Korean version of the joint statement provided by South Korea's presidential office.
"(We) strongly condemn illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the joint statement said.
