South Korea refuses to supply weapons to Ukraine — media

South Korea has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine, according to media reports. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the country's defense material supplies are governed by domestic law. The government is taking a cautious approach to Ukraine's request for air defense support and other military necessities, as stated by a government official on Monday.

This follows Ukrainian officials' claims that North Korea is gearing up to send additional troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine. South Korea is committed to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but it is not supplying lethal weapons. The government has already contributed to Ukraine in various domains, such as energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and education, and will continue to explore ways to support Ukraine in achieving peace and rebuilding.

South Korean officials addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's social media post from the day before, in which he asserted that North Korea was prepared to dispatch more troops to Russia. However, the South Korean diplomat refrained from confirming Zelensky's statements concerning diplomatic talks on this issue or the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers in Russia.

The diplomat stressed that military collaboration between North Korea and Russia poses a direct threat to South Korea's security and contravenes United Nations resolutions. The diplomat affirmed that the government's stance is to halt this cooperation immediately and is closely monitoring the situation. Furthermore, Andrii Kovalenko, the leader of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, commented that North Korea is interested in gaining combat experience during Russia's war against Ukraine to potentially launch an aggressive phase on the Korean Peninsula.