ANKARA

South Korea's spy agency on Sunday said it is looking into suspected supply of North Korean weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine, Yonhap news agency reported.

The remark came in response to a recent report by a local media outlet that 122 mm artillery shells manufactured in North Korea in the 1970s appeared to be among weapons that Russia used in its ongoing war against Kyiv.

"The National Intelligence Service (NIS) is analyzing the relevant circumstance in detail and also continues to track overall military cooperation between North Korea and Russia," the spy agency said.

South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has claimed that Pyongyang has shipped around 6,700 containers to Moscow since a summit between their leaders in September, which are enough to accommodate approximately 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or 500,000 rounds of 122 mm artillery shells.

The intelligence service said it is also closely monitoring the possibility of "illicit" shipment of missile parts to North Korea amid concerns it may be procuring such parts to develop new weapons.

The US has also accused North Korea of providing munitions and military equipment to Russia to help boost its war effort in Ukraine.

Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened ties in recent months, and Kim Jong Un paid a state visit to Russia last year.