SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president on Thursday raised the possibility of supplying Ukraine with weapons while stressing that his government “won’t sit idle” as North Korea allegedly sends troops to support Russia’s aggression toward its neighbor. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke to reporters after a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda that came a day after U.S.
and South Korean officials said they believe around 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia and are training at several locations. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korea likely aims to send a total of 10,000 troops to Russia by the end of the year. Yoon’s meeting with Duda was focused on expanding defense cooperation between the countries amid the ongoing conflict.
Poland has signed a series of arms deals with South Korea in the last two years to acquire tanks, howitzers and missile launchers in an effort to bolster its military capabilities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the presence of North Korean troops. Yoon said South Korea will work with allies and partners to prepare countermeasures that could be rolled out in stages depending on the degree of military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Seoul’s steps could potentially include sending weapons to Ukraine, which would mark a departure from a long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
