Russia and North Korea on Monday expanded their cooperation on countering crime as the two isolated countries continue to deepen ties, a trend one analyst told Newsweek may have unforeseen consequences.
A Russian delegation led by Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov met with a North Korean group headed by his counterpart Kim Chol Won for talks in Pyongyang, where they signed a series of agreements, according to Russia's Prosecutor General's Office. The accords cover law enforcement, legal assistance on criminal cases, and collaboration against crime, including cyber crimes.
The deal comes as the two neighbors continue to deepen bilateral ties, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June signing an agreement on military assistance in the event of an attack on either country, a move that drew condemnation from Seoul and Washington.
Krasnov said Russian-North Korean ties are heading in a positive direction. He also praised the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in June by Putin and Kim, touting its potential to "stabilize the situation in Northeast Asia, make a positive contribution to maintaining the balance of power in the region, and lay the foundation for building a new Eurasian security system."
The Russian Foreign Ministry and North Korean embassy in China did not immediately respond to written requests for comment.
"Moscow and Pyongyang want others to think their partnership is locked in and moving from strength to strength," Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, told Newsweek.
He added that together, the two could pose a more significant cyberspace threat by "sharing information and ways to evade a rules-based order," but that this will drive closer security coordination among the U.S., Japan and South Korea.
Russia and North Korea, along with China and Iran, are considered by Washington to be the "Big Four" greatest cyber threats to the West.
The 2024 threat assessment by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence said: "Pyongyang's cyber forces have matured and are fully capable of achieving a variety of strategic objectives against diverse targets, including a wider target set in the United States and South Korea."
The agency forecast Moscow would continue to present "an enduring cyber threat" even while it directs its cyber capabilities toward its invasion of Ukraine.
Chris Monday, a professor at South Korea's Donseo University, told NK News that Krasnov, highly trusted by Putin, was likely dispatched to discuss sensitive issues privately.
"It's doubtful they would actually discuss any legal issues, but North Korea may seek advice on how to evade sanctions or make its cyber operations more profitable," he said.
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