South Korea considers sending weapons to Ukraine amid North Korean deployment

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul stated on 1 November that “all possible scenarios are under consideration” when asked about potentially sending weapons to Ukraine, Reuters reports.

South Korea has previously provided non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including mine clearance equipment, while resisting Kyiv’s requests for weapons. Russia has intensified military ties with North Korea since February 2022, securing ballistic missiles, and more than 2 million artillery rounds, with both countries signing a mutual defense pact in June. South Korea reported 3,000 North Korean troops training in Russia, with a planned increase to 10,000 by December. Ukraine confirmed initial units have arrived in the Kursk combat zone.

Speaking through an interpreter at a press conference in Ottawa, Cho emphasized that Seoul would monitor “the level of the (North Korean) forces’ participation in the war, and what will be the quid pro quo that North Korea will be receiving from Russia” before making specific decisions.

According to ISW, Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on 2 November that Russian forces had transferred 7,000 additional North Korean personnel to areas near the Ukrainian border in the previous week. HUR says these forces have been equipped with modern weapons including 60mm mortars, AK-12 assault rifles, RPK/PKM machine guns, SVD/SVCh sniper rifles, Phoenix anti-tank guided missiles, and RPG-7 anti-tank rocket launchers, along with night vision devices and thermal imagers.

Earlier, the US said it expected North Korean troops stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast to enter the fight against Ukraine in the coming days, estimating there are 10,000 North Korean troops in Russia.

A South Korean presidential official said on 30 October that North Korea is likely to receive military and civilian technology from Moscow in exchange, as it works to launch a spy satellite and upgrade its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities, Reuters reports.

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