The foreign ministry says Russia’s proposal for the establishment of regular negotiations on security issues regarding the Korean Peninsula is an attempt to distract from the cause of rising tensions.

A ministry official revealed the stance on Friday regarding a statement by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov while speaking to his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son-hui, in Pyongyang on Thursday that Russia supports negotiations without preconditions to discuss the peninsula’s security issues.

The official said the statement is an apparent effort to shift the focus of the international community away from the possibility of illegal military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The official said the nature of the problem is North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development and urged Russia to immediately suspend engagement in any illegal military cooperation that threatens South Korea’s security and violates UN Security Council resolutions.

The official was quick to add, however, that Seoul remains open to holding dialogue with Pyongyang on denuclearization without preconditions.