Seoul mulls arms for Ukraine as North Korean troops enter Russia
Ukraine’s military intelligence said that the first North Korean units arrived in Kursk Oblast, Russia, on Wednesday.
South Korea may supply weapons to Ukraine in retaliation for North Korea deploying troops to support the Russian invasion.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president, said his government would “never sit by idly” in the face of military co-operation between Moscow and Pyongyang, as the US warned that North Koreans would be “fair game” on the battlefield.
South Korea is an arms exporter, but it has a policy of not supplying lethal weapons to countries engaged in active conflicts. Mr Yoon said this could change, depending on the extent to which co-operation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un developed after their meeting in Pyongyang earlier this year.
“North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia, which is in direct violation of the UN charter and UN security council resolutions, is a provocation that threatens the security of the entire world beyond the Korean peninsula and Europe,” Mr Yoon said, after a meeting in Seoul with Andrzej Duda, the Polish president.
“South Korea will never sit by idly, and depending on the progress of military co-operation between Russia and North Korea, we will take necessary measures in a step-by-step manner with the international community.
“In principle, (South Korea) doesn’t directly supply lethal weapons. (But) we can review this more flexibly depending on North Korea’s military activities.
“We have decided to strengthen joint efforts between our two countries to restore peace and rebuild Ukraine.”
The US confirmed its belief that North Korean troops were in Russia, possibly in preparation for deployment to Ukraine, after varying estimates of their numbers by Ukraine and South Korea.
White House spokesman John Kirby said Washington believed at least 3000 North Korean soldiers had travelled by sea to eastern Russia from the port of Wonsan to Vladivostok, and from there on to training camps.
“We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability,” he said.
“If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness, not strength, on the part of the Kremlin.”
He added: “If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they’re fair game, they’re fair targets”.
Ukraine’s military intelligence said on Thursday that the first North Korean units arrived in Kursk Oblast, Russia, on Wednesday. In Russia, Putin did not deny the reports.
“Russia never doubted that the DPRK is serious about Russian co-operation, we are in co-operation with our North Korean friends,” he said after hosting a summit of emerging economies.
“What we will do is our business,” he said.
He then appeared to mock satellite images which purportedly showed North Korean troops on Russian soil: “Images are a serious thing. If there are images they must show something,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Russian MPs voted unanimously to ratify a “comprehensive partnership agreement” signed by Putin and Kim during a meeting in Pyongyang in June. It commits the two countries to “mutual assistance in the event of aggression”.
Asked about reports of the North Korean deployment, Lin Jian, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said: “the Chinese side is not aware of the situation”.
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