Seoul Will Not Provide Lethal Aid to Ukraine Despite Increased Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia

Despite increased military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, South Korea will not provide lethal military aid to Ukraine but will continue to provide humanitarian support.

This was reported by The Korea Times, citing a high-ranking government source.

The official stated that Seoul has offered Ukraine support in various areas, including energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and education, and will continue to consider measures aimed at helping Ukraine restore peace and rebuild the country.

These statements came in response to a post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he noted that North Korea is preparing to deploy additional forces to Russia.

Zelensky noted that through cooperation with Russia, North Korea will gain more experience in waging modern warfare.

He added that under these circumstances, Seoul should deepen its cooperation with Ukraine, and Kyiv is counting on South Korea’s support in the areas of air defense systems and other military capabilities.

A source for the publication noted that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia “directly affects our security and violates United Nations resolutions,” adding that Seoul is demanding its immediate cessation.

As a reminder, in May 2023, it was reported that South Korea was transferring hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to the United States, which were subsequently supplied to Ukraine.

Back in November 2022, Seoul had promised to provide Kyiv with artillery shells, but later reversed its decision and limited its assistance to non-lethal aid.