Russia says it's watching 'tragic' situation in South Korea with concern

Russia is following events in South Korea with concern after the president briefly declared martial law, but there are no threats to Russian citizens there, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

Moscow has deepened ties with Seoul's neighbour North Korea since the start of its war in Ukraine, drawing concern from Western countries.

South Korean lawmakers submitted a bill on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law before reversing the move hours later, triggering a political crisis in Asia's fourth-largest economy, a major U.S. ally.

"We are watching with concern the tragic events unfolding in South Korea," Zakharova told a news briefing.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula is already complicated by the provocative actions of the United States of America and its allies," she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a treaty in Pyongyang in June which included a mutual defence clause.

The United States, South Korea and Ukraine have accused North Korea of sending more than 10,000 troops to Russia's Kursk region where Russian forces are trying to expel Ukrainian soldiers. Moscow has neither confirmed nor denied their presence.