South Korea ponders over supplying weapons to Ukraine
In response to the strengthening military alliance between North Korea and Russia, the South Korean administration is contemplating direct weapon supply to Ukraine. Various diplomatic, economic, and military responses are being readied to counter potential military collaborations between North Korea and Russia, as reported by the presidential office in Seoul.
This could include delivering lethal weapons to Ukraine should the situation worsen. As a presidential official put it, "We would regard weapon delivery for defensive purposes as one of the progressive scenarios. If they seem to overstep, we might also consider an offensive deployment."
South Korea, a major arms producer, has heretofore only provided non-lethal equipment to Ukraine, such as mine-clearing gadgets. Last week, the South Korean intelligence agency disclosed evidence showing that North Korea had sent over 1,500 soldiers to Russia for training to be deployed in the Ukraine conflict. Previously, the South Korean news agency Yonhap had reported, citing the intelligence agency, that Pyongyang intended to send a total of "four brigades with 12,000 soldiers, including special forces" to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also discussed this at the EU summit in Brussels.
Neither NATO nor the USA have corroborated these reports but cautioned that such a move could signify a potentially harmful escalation. "We've seen reports suggesting that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has deployed troops and is preparing to send more soldiers to Ukraine to fight on Russia's side," shared Robert Wood, US Ambassador to the United Nations, during the Security Council session. "If true, this is an alarming and deeply concerning development," he added.
North Korea: "Unsubstantiated Allegations"
North Korea dismissed allegations of sending its soldiers to Russia for deployment in Ukraine as "unsubstantiated allegations." The accusations thrown by South Korea aimed to "smear the reputation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and undermine the legitimate and friendly relations between two independent states," said the North Korean representative at a United Nations General Assembly committee meeting in New York on Monday.
He emphasized the strengthening ties of his country with Russia, which have seen a move since the Ukraine conflict. Russia has not corroborated the reports about the deployment of North Korean soldiers. The Russian ambassador summoned by Seoul merely noted that the cooperation of Russia and North Korea was "not meant to jeopardize South Korean security interests."
North Korea and Russia have fostered their military partnership in recent years. Experts believe that Russia is using North Korean rockets in Ukraine, a claim both sides refute.
Given the escalating tensions between North Korea and Ukraine, South Korea is considering a shift in its policy towards providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, should the situation escalate further. This potentially significant change in South Korea's stance follows reports of North Korea sending over 1,500 soldiers to Russia for training, with the possibility of deploying them in the Ukraine conflict.
