New enemy for the Kremlin?

South Korea considers arms aid for Ukraine

A military parade to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the South Korean armed forces in Seoul(Bild: APA/AFP/Jung Yeon Je)

According to the South Korean secret service, 1,500 North Korean soldiers are currently in Russia to be trained for the war in Ukraine. According to reports, a total of up to 12,000 soldiers are to be sent to the front. This development is not only a major concern for NATO countries. South Korea is also alarmed and is now considering supplying weapons to Kiev. 

Diplomatic, economic and military measures are being prepared against various scenarios of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, according to the presidential office in Seoul. This also includes the delivery of weapons to Ukraine should the situation deteriorate.

Satellite images of the Russian military base Ussuriysk, where, according to the South Korean secret service, soldiers from North Korea are being prepared for their deployment in Ukraine.(Bild: APA/AFP/AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE/SOUTH KOREA‘S NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE/Handout)

"We would consider supplying weapons for defensive purposes as part of the step-by-step scenarios, and if it appears that they are going too far, we could also consider offensive deployment," a representative of the presidential office said. South Korea, a leading arms producer, has so far only supplied Ukraine with non-lethal equipment, for example for mine clearance.

Pyongyang is already massively supporting the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine with weapons and ammunition. According to the South Korean secret service, the internationally largely isolated country is primarily supplying artillery shells and short-range missiles. However, both Russia and North Korea deny possible arms deliveries.

North Korea rejects reports of troop deployments
The North Korean regime also denies reports of troop deployments. The accusations made by South Korea were aimed at "damaging the reputation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and undermining the legitimate and friendly relations between two sovereign states", said the North Korean representative at a UN General Assembly committee meeting in New York on Monday.

The Russian ambassador summoned by Seoul merely stated that the cooperation between Russia and North Korea was "not directed against South Korean security interests". Neither NATO nor the USA confirmed the reports, but warned that such a step could mean a potentially dangerous escalation.