South Korea 'not ruling out' supplying arms to Ukraine, president says
South Korea does not rule out providing arms to Ukraine in the light of deepening cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at a press conference on Nov. 7.
"Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases," Yoon told the media.
"This means we are not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons."
Russian-North Korean ties entered a new level when Pyongyang dispatched around 12,000 troops to join Russia's war against Ukraine.
Yoon said previously that Seoul might revise its ban on supplying direct military assistance to a warzone in response.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and non-lethal aid but refused to provide weapons, citing legislative restrictions. Some media reports from last year claimed that the country secretly supplied artillery shells to Ukraine via the U.S., though the South Korean government denied the reports.
Living in constant tension with its North Korean neighbors, South Korea boasts a powerful military and strong defense industry, making the country a major arms exporter.
It remains unclear what weapons systems South Korea is considering, though Yoon commented that "defensive weapons" would be a priority. A source in South Korea's Presidential Office told the Yonhap news agency that a direct supply of 155 mm artillery shells is currently not on the table.
Experts told the Kyiv Independent that South Korea could provide the most significant support to Ukraine through ammunition supplies. The country fields not only 155 mm artillery but also stores 3.4 million 105 mm rounds compatible with some of Ukraine's guns.
Ukrainian officials said that simply holding the front against Russian forces requires 75,000 shells a month. Moscow's troops can fire several times more shells than Ukraine, with roughly half reportedly provided by North Korea.
Chris York
