Japanese Foreign Minister Says Sending North Korean Troops Exacerbated The Situation In Ukraine

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. (Twitter/@MofaJapan_en)

JAKARTA - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Thursday expressed concern that the involvement of North Korean troops in the Russia-Ukraine war could threaten global stability.

Dalam pertemuan dengan media Menlu Iwaya mengatakan, Jepang perlu bekerja sama dengan komunitas global agar situasi di Ukraina tidak semakin memburuk.

"If North Korea participates in the fighting, the situation in Ukraine will only worsen, which will further disrupt the stability of the international community," Foreign Minister Iwaya said, according to Kyodo News Oct. 31.

North Korea was recently accused by South Korea, the United States, and Ukraine of sending troops to Russia to support its invasion of neighboring countries, amid fears Pyongyang could receive military technology from Moscow in return.

Foreign Minister Iwaya also expressed her hopes of visiting China in the near future to meet Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi, as the two Asian powers had to resolve "various issues of concern and challenge" among them "through dialogue."

"Japan and China are equally responsible for regional peace, stability and prosperity," he said, adding Tokyo would continue to promote bilateral relations that "profit each other" based on shared strategic interests.

It is known that diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have increased again due to the first violation by Chinese military aircraft in Japanese airspace in August, as well as the fatal stabbing of a Japanese school student by a Chinese man in Shenzhen in September.

Foreign Minister Iwaya said Tokyo would continue to "say what needs to be said" to Beijing, underscoring the government has raised serious concerns to China over its increasing military activity, asking the Bamboo Curtain country to take adequate action to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens living in neighboring countries.