SEOUL, October 26 (AJP) - North Korea’s deployment of troops and weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine has made Pyongyang a security threat to Europe as well as South Korea, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot said.
“We are also deeply concerned by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its growing military cooperation with Russia. Developments on the Korean Peninsula and the war in Ukraine are no longer separate security questions. They are increasingly connected,” Prévot, who doubles as foreign minister, said in a written interview with AJP.
The connection is increasingly shaping European policy toward Pyongyang.
On Oct. 12, the Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on three individuals and four entities linked to North Korea’s weapons programs and sanctions evasion. The measures targeted activities supporting its cooperation with Russia, including North Korean workers, commercial and industrial ties and an “arms-for-oil” trade.
The same day, North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, with at least one traveling more than 900 kilometers, according to South Korea’s military.
Pyongyang’s supply of ammunition, missiles and troops to Russia has made the relationship a shared concern for Seoul and European capitals.
The response requires stronger defense capabilities and closer partnerships extending beyond conventional military cooperation.
“South Korea is an important partner in this respect. Your technological expertise, defence industry, battery production and semiconductor capabilities offer significant opportunities for closer collaboration with Europe,” he said.
President Lee Jae Myung’s June summit with EU leaders in Brussels underscored that convergence, with both sides advancing cooperation in defense, security, digital technologies and economic resilience.
Prévot pointed to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and energy and communications infrastructure in the North Sea as assets whose protection has become central to European security. Ports, electricity grids, digital networks and undersea cables require industrial capacity as well as military protection, he argued.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exposed Europe’s dependence on external energy supplies and gaps in its defenses. But greater European strategic autonomy, he said, should strengthen its alliances.
“When I speak about European strategic autonomy, I am not advocating isolation or a Europe that turns away from its allies. I am talking about the ability to make our own decisions, defend our interests and fulfil our responsibilities,” he said.
“NATO remains the cornerstone of our collective defense. A stronger Europe should reinforce that alliance, not compete with it. Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security, and that is also in the interest of our American allies.”
The security connection with South Korea also carries a historical obligation. Belgian troops fought under the United Nations flag during the 1950–53 Korean War, and the country remains involved in the United Nations Command.
Prévot visited the Demilitarized Zone and Joint Security Area during his September 2025 trip to South Korea.
“There is something deeply unsettling about standing in a place where, more than seventy years after the armistice, peace remains unfinished. You are reminded that the absence of fighting is not necessarily the same as peace,” he said.
“Belgium remains involved through the United Nations Command, which contributes to maintaining the armistice. We support the Republic of Korea’s efforts to reduce tensions, prevent escalation and pursue lasting peace on the Peninsula,” he said.
“Belgium cannot determine the future of the Peninsula. That future belongs first and foremost to the Korean people. But we can remain a reliable partner, defend international law, support diplomatic efforts and contribute to international security.”
As South Korea and Belgium mark 125 years of diplomatic relations this year, Prévot sees a broader common interest: protecting the room for internationally connected economies to make their own choices amid intensifying competition among major powers.
“For me, that requires three things. Strong alliances, because neither of us can guarantee our security alone. Diversified partnerships, because excessive dependence can quickly become a vulnerability. And international rules, because without them, smaller countries are exposed to the decisions of the most powerful,” he said.
That approach, he stressed, does not mean keeping equal distance from competing powers.
“This is not about equidistance between competing powers. Belgium is firmly anchored in the European Union and NATO, just as South Korea has its own essential security alliances. We know who our allies are,” he said.
“But loyalty to our allies should never prevent us from developing our own capabilities or building constructive relationships with other partners.”
He also warned that selective application of international law undermines the protections on which countries such as Belgium and South Korea depend.
“Civilians must be protected. Humanitarian assistance must reach those who need it. International humanitarian law must be respected. And borders cannot be changed by force,” he said.
“If we defend these principles only when they are convenient, we should not be surprised when others stop believing in them.”
Defending those principles must still leave room for diplomacy with governments Belgium fundamentally opposes.
“Dialogue is not endorsement. Negotiation is not surrender,” he said.
“The real challenge is to remain faithful to our principles while being sufficiently pragmatic to achieve results. The families waiting for an end to a war need more than expressions of concern. They need us to use every available diplomatic instrument to make a difference.”
The test of cooperation between Belgium and South Korea is whether they can turn their industrial and diplomatic strengths into influence over the rules governing their security.
“The question is not whether Belgium and South Korea can compete with the great powers on their own terms. It is whether we can help shape a world in which every country does not have to,” he said.
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