South Korea is considering supplying “offensive” weapons to Ukraine in response to the strengthening of military ties between North Korea and Russia, officials said on Tuesday.
The move marks the strongest indication yet that South Korean troops and North Korean forces could potentially find themselves in direct conflict on Ukrainian soil should the situation escalate.
It comes after Seoul summoned Moscow’s ambassador following intelligence reports about North Korea sending a force of 1,500 special forces to Russia this month to participate in the war in Ukraine.
A senior official from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said South Korea is preparing the possibility of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine in response to military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
“We are considering supplying defensive weapons as part of a phased approach, and if necessary, we may also consider offensive measures,” the official told reporters.
South Korea’s National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement: “Our government called for an immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops, and if the current military collusion between North Korea and Russia continues, we will not sit idle and will respond sternly together with the international community.
South Korea is considering sending a team of personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops being deployed to support Russia, a government source told the Yonhap news agency.
This would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s involvement in the war on behalf of its ally Russia.
Should the move occur, it represents a significant policy shift for Seoul, which has historically refrained from sending arms to countries involved in active conflicts.
The discussions were prompted by the signing of a mutual defense pact between North Korea and Russia, raising concerns about the potential for direct military clashes involving South Korean forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 25, 2019. Seoul has indicated that it may supply “offensive” weapons to Ukraine.
Alexey NIKOLSKY/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of “getting involved in the war” with Ukraine and said the East Asian state is readying tens of thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russia.
“What we know is that North Korea is already preparing a contingent to fight against Ukraine,” Zelensky said during a press conference in Belgium earlier this month.
South Korea has come under pressure from Western allies to provide weapons to Kyiv, but has only provided Ukraine with non-lethal supplies such as gas masks, field rations, and emergency aid kits.
Russia has turned to its coalition of allies, Iran, China, and North Korea, for resources throughout the Ukraine as it faces a flurry of sanctions from Kyiv’s Western partners.
South Korea’s intelligence services released satellite images of North Korean troops boarding Russian ships and being transported from China to Vladivostok in eastern Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang in June to hold bilateral talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, where they signed a partnership agreement.
It states that the “other party shall provide military and other assistance without delay by all means at its disposal.”
The two leaders held talks before signing the treaty, which pledged to provide military aid to one another if either was attacked.
