Zelenskyy seeks Seoul’s air defense weapons, warns of major N. Korean troop deployment

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on South Korea to provide air defense systems to Kyiv, warning that North Korea could deploy 30,000-50,000 troops to Russia. Zelenskyy made the remarks in an interview on X, noting that North Koreans have been seen on Russian territory and could threaten neighboring countries by learning modern warfare tactics on the battlefield.

He also reported that Ukrainian intelligence found North Korean missiles on Ukrainian soil and that the country has suffered at least five deaths due to North Korean missile strikes this month. Ukraine's stock of interceptor missiles has been depleted, leading to extensive damage from Russian missile attacks and mounting casualties.

In response, Zelenskyy expressed his desire for closer cooperation with South Korea in the area of air defense systems and other potential areas of support. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, South Korea has maintained a policy of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, though it has supplied safety equipment such as mines detectors.

The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has hinted at the possibility of supplying lethal weapons, but has only sent safety equipment to date.