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South Korea imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and 15 entities "engaged in illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea," the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Dec. 17.
The sanctions will enter into force by Dec. 19.
Among the sanctioned individuals are high-ranking North Korean military officers deployed to Russia and a senior missile engineer in the North Korean army, as well as an elite unit called "Storm Corps" and their commander, also deployed to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian and Western officials issued warnings in the fall of 2024 that over 10,000 North Korean troops had amassed in Kursk Oblast, ready to aid Russia's attempt to oust Ukrainian forces after Kyiv launched a surprise incursion in the region in August.
The sanctions list further includes seven Russian individuals and 13 organizations, including several banks. Seoul accused them of facilitating arms trade between Russia and North Korea, supplying the Russian military with North Korean telecommunications equipment, and helping North Korea's nuclear and missile program.
The sanctions mean that financial transactions with these entities will require Seoul’s prior approval.
South Korea has committed economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine, recently providing a $100 million loan to help keep Kyiv's budget afloat. Seoul has not supplied Ukraine with direct lethal support, a step prohibited by the country's legislation.
A Ukrainian delegation to the East Asian country met with the now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has signaled the possibility of providing military aid to Ukraine in light of growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
In a recent video address, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that North Koreans were participating in Russian assaults in the Kursk region. Ukraine's military intelligence has claimed that at least 30 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded on the Kursk front.
Abbey Fenbert
(Updated: )
