Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul criticized the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as being unlawful and expressed regret while attending the Group of 20(G20) foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa.

At a session on Thursday, local time, Cho said so many people are suffering due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. He then expressed regret over the expanded and protracted war amid enhanced military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The minister said North Korea has supported Russia in its military offensive against Ukraine by sending some 22-thousand containers filled with missiles and shells, and deploying more than eleven-thousand troops.

Cho accused the regime of seeking to receive cutting-edge military technologies in return, calling such move a violation of the United Nations Charter and multiple UN Security Council resolutions that also undermines the global non-proliferation regime.

The minister strongly urged an end to the war in Ukraine, and called for immediate termination of the military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.