Major weapons exporter South Korea will reconsider its policy on supplying arms directly to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea signed a defense deal. Seoul has a longstanding policy against selling weapons into active conflict zones, but is planning to reconsider following the Moscow-Pyongyang agreement.
Seoul, aiming to become a top arms exporter, has expressed grave concern over the Moscow-Pyongyang pact, which includes military and economic cooperation and immediate military assistance. South Korea’s national security adviser warned that any cooperation that strengthens North Korea’s military capabilities violates UN Security Council resolutions and could harm South Korea-Russia relations.
North Korea and Russia have grown closer since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to backlash from the United States and Seoul. Pyongyang denied allegations of supplying weapons to Russia, but thanked Russia for vetoing UN monitoring of sanctions violations. Seoul plans to impose additional sanctions on Russian and North Korean parties involved in arms shipments and oil transfers.
Experts caution that any weapons support from Seoul to Ukraine must be done cautiously to minimize backlash from Russia. If limited to conventional weapons, similar to what North Korea provides to Russia, the impact on relations may be reduced.
