A recent survey has found that a vast majority of South Koreans oppose transferring weapons and military equipment to Ukraine despite North Korea’s alleged involvement in the war. According to an October poll conducted by the Seoul-based research firm Gallup Korea, approximately 82 percent of respondents are against providing direct military support to Kyiv, including the supply of lethal weapons to counter Russian aggression. This resistance persists even though most South Koreans see the growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow as a significant threat.
The depth of this opposition became evident earlier this week when a group of protesters gathered in front of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office during a visit from a Ukrainian delegation seeking arms support. The protesters declared, “No to the South Korean government planning arms supply to Ukraine.”
Yang Uk, an analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that the low support for arms shipments to Ukraine indicates that the public is largely indifferent to the seriousness of the conflict. He suggested that most South Koreans are more concerned about the potential downsides of providing direct support to Ukraine, stating, “To the South Korean government, there will be fewer benefits for continuing to support when there is little domestic support and the relationship with the next US government could deteriorate.” Seoul has considered the possibility of sending lethal weapons to Kyiv in light of reports that North Korean soldiers are assisting Russian forces on the frontline. Notably, Pyongyang has allegedly sent weapons, including ballistic missiles and rocket systems, to Russia to counter Western aid to Ukraine.
In response to the potential South Korean military aid to Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko warned Seoul to “soberly assess” the situation and avoid taking “reckless” actions. He stated that any use of South Korean weapons to harm Russian citizens would sever relations between the two nations. Rudenko emphasized, “I hope that the administration of the Republic of Korea will be guided primarily by long-term national interests, and not by short-term opportunistic considerations prompted from outside.”
