South Korea Considers Providing Ukraine with Arms Amid North Korea’s Alleged Troop Deployment to Russia

SEOUL, South Korea — On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted at the possibility of supplying Ukraine with weapons. He underscored that his government “won’t sit idle” as North Korea allegedly sends troops to support Russia’s military action against Ukraine.

President Yoon made these remarks to reporters following a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. This meeting occurred a day after U.S. and South Korean officials expressed their belief that approximately 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, undergoing training at multiple locations. South Korea’s intelligence agency informed lawmakers that North Korea likely aims to send a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by year’s end.

President Yoon’s meeting with President Duda centered on expanding defense cooperation between the two nations amidst the ongoing conflict. Poland has entered into a series of arms deals with South Korea over the past two years to acquire tanks, howitzers, and missile launchers. These acquisitions are part of Poland’s efforts to bolster its military capabilities in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.

President Yoon stated that South Korea will collaborate with its allies and partners to formulate countermeasures. These measures would be implemented in phases, depending on the level of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

South Korea’s potential steps could include sending weapons to Ukraine. This would represent a departure from the country’s longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to nations actively involved in conflicts. President Yoon emphasized that North Korea’s alleged troop deployment to Russia constitutes a “provocation that threatens global security beyond just the Korean Peninsula and Europe.”

“If North Korea dispatches special forces to the Ukraine war as part of Russia-North Korea cooperation, we will support Ukraine in stages and also review and implement measures necessary for security on the Korean Peninsula,” President Yoon said during a joint press conference with President Duda.

“While we have maintained our principle of not directly supplying lethal weapons, we can also review our stance more flexibly, depending on the level of North Korean military activities,” President Yoon stated.

President Yoon’s remarks aligned with statements made earlier in the week by a senior presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official disclosed that South Korea is considering various diplomatic, economic, and military options, including the potential provision of both defensive and offensive weapons systems to Ukraine.

South Korea, a growing arms exporter, has extended humanitarian aid and other non-lethal support to Ukraine. It has also joined U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow. However, South Korea has so far resisted calls from Kyiv and NATO to directly supply Ukraine with weapons.

During their summit, President Yoon and President Duda agreed to “actively support” additional deliveries of South Korean military equipment to Poland. This includes a new deal for Korean K-2 tanks, which both governments aim to finalize by the end of the year, according to President Yoon’s office.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated since 2022. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has utilized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a diversionary tactic to accelerate the development of his nuclear weapons and missile program.

Seoul also expresses concerns as experts suggest that North Korea may seek significant technology transfers in exchange for sending troops. These transfers could include Russian expertise on intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarines, further enhancing the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear arsenal.

Experts note that it remains unclear how effective North Korean soldiers would be in combat, considering their lack of active battlefield experience, outdated conventional weaponry, and limited training experience with Russian forces. Kim may view the troop dispatch as a crucial opportunity to expose his soldiers to modern warfare and technologies, according to Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification.

During a parliamentary hearing, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun stated that North Korean troops would likely become “cannon fodder” if deployed in combat in Ukraine. He condemned Pyongyang’s leadership for “selling away its troops to an illegal invasion.”

“Troop deployment is just a phrase, and it would be more appropriate to call them as mercenaries,” he said. “The North Koreans are disguising themselves in Russian uniforms and operating under Russian control with no operational autonomy, just simply following orders.”