In an unexpected development, South Korea is contemplating the direct supply of both defensive and offensive weapons to Ukraine. This comes amid growing evidence that North Korea is preparing to dispatch its troops to assist Russia in the ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to a senior official at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office, Seoul is open to providing arms to Kyiv depending on how the situation unfolds. The official stated, “We would consider supplying weapons for defensive purposes as part of the step-by-step scenarios, and if it seems they are going too far, we might also consider offensive use.” This marks South Korea’s most proactive stance to date regarding arming Ukraine.
North Korea’s Growing Ties with Russia
South Korea’s spy agency (NIS) revealed last week that North Korea had dispatched 1,500 special forces personnel to Russia’s far east. These troops are reportedly undergoing training and acclimatization at local military bases in preparation for future combat alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Local media, citing the NIS, reported that Pyongyang had decided to send a total of 12,000 troops, organized into four brigades, to Russia. This development underscores the potential for the divided Korean peninsula to become entangled in the Ukraine conflict.
Videos Emerge of North Korean Soldiers in Russia
In recent days, a series of video clips have surfaced that apparently show North Korean soldiers training in Russia. On Sunday, the Ukrainian strategic communication and information security center shared a video that seems to depict North Korean soldiers receiving uniforms and equipment at the Sergeevka training ground in Russia’s far east.
Independent Russian outlet Astra also published two clips on Tuesday showing what appear to be North Korean soldiers standing outside a military base. The men can be heard speaking in North Korean, with an instructor telling the soldiers to “come inside” the building. Researchers have geolocated these clips to the Sergeevka training ground.
International Reaction and Implications
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a “strong response” from international partners regarding North Korea’s involvement in the war. Meanwhile, the UK stated on Monday that it “assesses that it is highly likely North Korea has agreed to send troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
“It seems that the harder Putin finds it to recruit Russians to be cannon fodder, the more willing he is to rely on the DPRK [North Korea] in his illegal war. Putin is clearly desperate. His desperation is a danger to us all.”
– Dame Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations
South Korea’s potential policy shift would be welcomed by Kyiv, which is grappling with a severe shortage of munitions. Seoul, home to some of the world’s largest stockpiles of artillery shells, has thus far provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine while joining western-led economic sanctions against Moscow. However, it has refrained from directly supplying arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not providing weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
Deepening Ties Between North Korea and Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who first met in 2019, have been seeking to strengthen military and economic cooperation to counter their growing international isolation. This isolation has been prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.
In June, the two leaders signed a pact that includes a clause requiring the countries to come to each other’s aid if either is attacked. The Kremlin has declined to directly answer questions about whether North Korean troops will fight in Ukraine, but stated that it is Moscow’s sovereign right to develop ties with Pyongyang in all areas.
The Road Ahead
As the war in Ukraine continues, the potential involvement of North Korean troops and South Korea’s deliberations on supplying weapons to Kyiv add a new dimension to the conflict. The international community will be closely monitoring these developments, as they could have far-reaching implications for regional stability and global security.
The Ukraine conflict has already had a profound impact on geopolitics, and the Korean peninsula’s entanglement in the war could further complicate the situation. As South Korea weighs its options and North Korea deepens its ties with Russia, the world watches anxiously to see how these events will unfold and shape the future of international relations.
