https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240621006000315
South Korea will determine the extent of its arms supply to Ukraine based on Russia’s stance toward its relations with North Korea, a presidential official said Friday.
National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin said Thursday South Korea will review the possibility of supplying weapons to Ukraine after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact pledging mutual defense in the event of war.
In response, Putin warned South Korea would be making a “big mistake” if it decided to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine.
“There are various options for providing weapons, and our position on the recent developments between Russia and North Korea depends on how Russia approaches the situation going forward,” the official said in a phone call with Yonhap News Agency.
South Korea has only supplied non-lethal items and equipment to Ukraine for its war against Russia under a policy that bans providing lethal weapons to countries at war.
Among potential weapons under consideration are 155-mm artillery shells, as well as air defense systems, which are needed in Ukraine, according to government sources.
Seoul officials have maintained strategic ambiguity regarding the types of weapons, seen as a diplomatic move to leverage the option to pressure Moscow to refrain from transferring key military technology to Pyongyang.
Later in the day, South Korea is expected to call in the top Russian envoy in Seoul to lodge a protest over the new treaty signed with North Korea, according diplomatic sources.
韩国总统府官员周五表示，韩国将根据俄罗斯对朝鲜关系的立场，决定向乌克兰提供武器的程度。
国家安全顾问张浩镇周四表示，在朝鲜领导人金正恩和俄罗斯总统普京签署了在发生战争时共同防御的协议后，韩国将审查向乌克兰提供武器的可能性。
普京对此警告说，如果韩国决定向乌克兰提供致命武器，那将是一个“大错误”。
这位官员在与韩联社的电话中表示：“提供武器有多种选择，我们对俄罗斯和朝鲜之间最近事态发展的立场取决于俄罗斯如何处理未来局势。”
根据禁止向交战国家提供致命武器的政策，韩国只向乌克兰提供了非致命物品和装备，以应对与俄罗斯的战争。
据政府消息人士透露，正在考虑的潜在武器包括乌克兰所需要的 155 毫米炮弹以及防空系统。
首尔官员在武器类型问题上一直保持战略模糊性，这被视为一种外交举措，旨在向莫斯科施压，要求其不要向平壤转让关键军事技术。
据外交消息人士透露，当天晚些时候，韩国预计将召见俄罗斯驻首尔高级特使，对与朝鲜签署的新条约提出抗议。
