Seoul: President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that South Korea might consider supplying arms to Ukraine in response to increasing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. This statement follows North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia, a move that has inflamed tensions and prompted a stern reaction from South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon’s comments came after a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Seoul, where both leaders condemned North Korea’s actions and pledged to bolster joint efforts against escalating security threats. The summit underscored the shared concerns of both nations regarding North Korea’s dispatch of approximately 3,000 soldiers to eastern Russia, as confirmed by South Korea’s intelligence agency and the White House.
President Yoon emphasized the potential shift in South Korea’s stance on arms supply, stating, “If North Korea dispatches special forces to the Ukraine war, we will provide support to Ukraine step by step and consider taking necessary measu
res for the security of the Korean Peninsula.” He highlighted the possibility of revisiting South Korea’s principle of not directly supplying lethal weapons in light of North Korea’s military activities.
The joint condemnation by Yoon and Duda labeled North Korea’s troop deployment as “a direct violation of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions,” describing it as a provocation that jeopardizes global security, impacting both the Korean Peninsula and Europe.
As part of Duda’s state visit, he is scheduled to tour major defense companies in South Korea, including Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace, which are known for producing the K2 tank and K9 howitzer, respectively. The leaders pledged to enhance cooperation between their defense and military authorities and collaborate on Ukraine’s reconstruction, alongside expanding partnerships in energy, infrastructure, and advanced technologies.