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South Korea may supply weapons to Ukraine after it accused North Korea of sending 1500 troops for training in Russia’s Far East.
Seoul believes a growing alliance between Russia and North Korea represents a global threat and is reportedly preparing diplomatic, economic, and military countermeasures, a senior South Korean official told media outlets.
“We would consider supplying weapons for defensive purposes as part of the step-by-step scenarios; if it seems they are going too far, we might also consider offensive use,” a South Korean official told reporters.
South Korean officials fear Russia may reward North Korea with sophisticated weapons technology for use in its nuclear and missile programs that target South Korea.
South Korea’s spy agency says North Korea is preparing to send 12,000 troops to Russia for deployment in the war against Ukraine.
Recently, the Ukrainian government released footage showing soldiers, thought to be speaking Korean, lining up to receive uniforms at a military base. Another video appeared to show North Korean troops training in Russia.
During his evening address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was strong evidence that North Korea is sending equipment and soldiers to Russia.
“I am grateful to those leaders and representatives of states who do not close their eyes and speak frankly about this co-operation for the sake of a larger war. We expect a normal, honest, strong reaction from our partners on this,” he says.
In response, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, described Seoul and Kyiv as “bad dogs bred by the US”.
She warned that any military provocation against countries with nuclear weapons could lead to “a horrible situation unimaginable for politicians and military experts” she said in a statement released by the North Korean authorities on Tuesday.
While Russia has not confirmed reports about North Korean soldiers’ participation in its war efforts, Moscow defended its military co-operation with Pyongyang on Monday.
Analysts believe North Korea is playing a key role in supplying munitions to Russia. Since 2023, Pyongyang has sent at least five million munitions to Russia in exchange for food and other resources.
While a treaty signed by Russia and North Korea in June did not lay out details about their military co-operation, Pyongyang could receive technological support from Moscow to refine its missile and satellite systems, experts say.
