The European Union and South Korea condemned "in the strongest possible terms" North Korea's transfer of weapons to Russia and the deployment of special forces to help the Kremlin with its "unlawful war of aggression" against Ukraine.
The statement came after the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, met in Seoul on November 4 as fears grow over Pyongyang's role in the war triggered by Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"This constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the most fundamental principles of the UN Charter," the statement said.
"Such cooperation between the DPRK (North Korea) and Russia is not only in flagrant violation of multiple UNSC resolutions, but it also prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people and threatens the security of the world, including that of the Republic of Korea and Europe."
After weeks of intelligence reports warning that thousands of North Korean troops were heading to Russia, confirmation from the NATO military alliance came late last month that Pyongyang's soldiers are not only on Russian soil but have already been deployed in a western region bordering Ukraine.
The Kremlin has neither denied nor directly confirmed the presence of North Korean troops on its soil.
SEE ALSO: North Korean Troops Are 'Fair Game' In Russia's War Against UkraineThe deployment not only raised fears of a potential escalation of the war in Ukraine, but sent shock waves through the Indo-Pacific region over what the Kremlin may be supplying Pyongyang in return.
"We are closely monitoring what Russia provides to the DPRK in return for its provision of arms and military personnel, including Russia's possible provision of materials and technology to the DPRK in support of Pyongyang's military objectives," the joint EU-South Korean statement said.
"We are also deeply concerned about the possibility for any transfer of nuclear or ballistic-missile-related technology to the DPRK, which would jeopardize the international nonproliferation efforts and threaten peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe," it added.