Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned the United States, South Korea and Japan against forming a trilateral security alliance that explicitly targets North Korea, cautioning that such a move would inflame regional tensions and further alienate Moscow and Pyongyang.

Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coastal city of Wonsan at a high-profile visit to North Korea on July 12. Lavrov accused Washington and its allies of fuelling instability through military deployments and exercises near the Korean Peninsula. “We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

Lavrov said that the visit represented the continuation of "strategic dialogue" between the two sides inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea last year. Lavrov also thanked North Korea for the troops it had sent to Russia, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lavrov also met with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Son Hui, TASS reports.

Unusually, Russia signed off on a full security agreement with North Korea during Putin’s visit, that includes Nato Article 5-like collective security clauses – something that was not offered to Iran when Putin signed a similar deal with Tehran in January.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have expanded significantly in recent years. North Korea has become a key supplier of troops and ammunition for Russia's war effort in Ukraine, reportedly in exchange for military, technology and economic assistance that has bolstered the pariah country. North Korea currently supplies up to 40% of Russia’s ammunition for the war in Ukraine, as the partnership between Pyongyang and Moscow deepens, according to Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Ukrainska Pravda reports.

The deepening cooperation has unsettled the other countries in the region, destabilising relations and expanding North Korea’s threat to security. In particular, North Korea’s missile capabilities are believed to have been enhanced by Russian knowhow.

Pointedly, Lavrov expressed Russia's understanding of North Korea’s decision to develop nuclear weapons: "The technologies used by North Korea are the result of the work of its own scientists. We respect North Korea’s aspirations and understand the reasons why it is pursuing nuclear development," Lavrov said, according to Russia's state-owned TASS news agency.

The North Korean leader reassured his readiness to support “measures” taken by Moscow for resolution of the situation in Ukraine.

"Comrade Kim Jong Un once again expressed readiness of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to continue unconditionally supporting all the measures of the Russian leadership to fundamentally resolve the situation in Ukraine in the spirit of the interstate treaty between the DPRK and Russia," the state-owned news agency said.

Lavrov’s remarks came after meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, signalling a deepening strategic and military partnership between the two isolated states. The Russian foreign minister conveyed greetings from President Vladimir Putin and reaffirmed growing bilateral cooperation, which has come under increased scrutiny in Western capitals.

Relations between Russia and North Korea have expanded notably since the start of the war in Ukraine. Pyongyang has reportedly supplied troops and munitions to support Russian operations, in exchange for economic assistance and advanced military technology. Lavrov’s visit appears designed to consolidate these ties further.

The accelerating cooperation has alarmed South Korea, the US and Japan, amid fears that Moscow may be transferring sensitive technologies that could enhance Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile capabilities. The three countries recently conducted joint military drills involving US nuclear-capable bombers, and on July 11 their top military officials met in Seoul to urge North Korea to cease “all unlawful activities that threaten regional security”.

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, for her part, reaffirmed North Korea’s “unconditional” support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Lavrov, in turn, thanked Pyongyang for what he described as the contribution of North Korean troops in repelling Ukraine’s cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

The meeting took place in the coastal city of Wonsan, home to the newly completed Wonsan-Kalma resort, which North Korean authorities claim can host up to 20,000 visitors. Lavrov added: “I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here. We will do everything we can to facilitate this, creating conditions for this, including air travel,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The tourism initiative is a cornerstone of Kim Jong Un’s strategy to revitalise North Korea’s ailing economy. However, the outlook for the project remains clouded by ongoing border closures and the regime’s reluctance to admit Western travellers.

Lavrov’s comments reflect Russia’s broader push to deepen its diplomatic and security ties with anti-Western allies, while simultaneously warning Washington and its partners against expanding their strategic footprint in Asia. As tensions mount over Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, the risk of confrontation between rival blocs in the region continues to rise.

The new Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is central to Kim Jong Un’s latest strategy to boost tourism by building modern hotel complexes as a means of improving the country’s struggling economy.