South Korea and 17 United Nations Command(UNC) member states expressed concerns over the close military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, calling on both countries to suspend the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty they recently signed.

In a joint statement issued after a defense ministers' meeting in Seoul on Tuesday, the participating countries said cooperation under the treaty, including arms transactions and technological cooperation, violates multiple UN Security Council(UNSC) resolutions.

Denouncing Pyongyang's "illegal" nuclear and ballistic missile programs as violations of the UNSC resolutions, the participants said those programs "seriously" undermine international nonproliferation regimes.

The UNC member states declared that they will remain united in the event of any renewed hostilities or armed attack against South Korea, while agreeing to increase information sharing and reinforce combined exercises against current security threats.

The inaugural South Korea-UNC defense ministers meeting took place last year on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice, and it is now an annual gathering.