S. Korea voices 'serious' concerns over Hamas' use of N. Korean weapons

SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry on Tuesday expressed serious concerns over North Korea's arms transactions after Seoul's spy agency confirmed suspicions that North Korean weapons were being used by the Hamas militant group in its war with Israel.

On Monday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) released a photo of a North Korean rocket part, confirming that Hamas fighters used an F-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher manufactured in Pyongyang.

"The government is very seriously concerned about the transfer of North Korean weapons abroad," foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told a regular press briefing.

Any arms trade with North Korea is a clear violation of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that seriously threatens international peace and security, as well as on the Korean Peninsula, he said.

He noted that South Korea will continue to cooperate with the United States, Japan and other countries to ensure all U.N. members comply with the resolutions, and express its position on the matter during UNSC meetings.

South Korea's military earlier said the North appears to have a military connection to Hamas and could use military tactics similar to those used against Israel by Hamas for a surprise attack on Seoul.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
(END)