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Since the start of the war, Seoul had insisted on sending only humanitarian aid to kyiv so as not to damage relations with Russia. But in an interview with the Reuters news agency, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said he is considering sending weapons to Ukraine if a large-scale attack against civilians is carried out.
From RFI’s correspondent in Seoul, Célio Fioretti
Change of attitude towards the war in Ukraine: if until now South Korea has maintained a certain distance, even an ambiguity towards this conflict, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s announcement could be a 180° turning point. South Korea could go beyond humanitarian and economic aid if Ukraine is the subject of a large-scale attack on civilians
So far, Seoul has not wanted to get angry with Moscow giving Ukraine military aid, particularly over the support Vladimir Putin might give Pyongyang in return. So South Korea was content to sell its weapons to NATO members, including Russia’s neighbor Poland.
However, Pentagon files released last week mention US pressure for South Korea to send weapons to Ukraine. The latter was particularly in demand for anti-aircraft equipment and artillery ammunition. Military support for Ukraine, the South Korean president interviewed by Reuters insists, is subject to conditions: “If there were a situation that the international community could not tolerate, such as a large-scale attack on civilians, a massacre or a serious violation of the laws of war, it can be difficult to insist on providing only humanitarian or financial assistance,” he said.
But it’s hard to know what Yoon Suk-yeol means by these terms. The issue will likely be discussed when he meets Joe Biden at the White House on April 26 to celebrate 70 years of the alliance between the two countries.
During his visit to Washington, the South Korean president will seek to strengthen the capacity of South Korea surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence analysis and will develop “high-powered, ultra-high-yield weapons” to defend against threats from the North, it said. Yoon.
With Reuters and RFI correspondent
