Seoul cautious on Ukraine defense request amid N. Korean troop reports

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, right, shakes hands with Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, June 30. Yonhap

The government maintained a cautious stance on Ukraine's request for air defense support and other military provisions, a senior government official said Monday, amid Ukrainian claims that North Korea is preparing to send more troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

"South Korea's supply of defense materials to any country has always been carried out in accordance with domestic law," a senior foreign ministry official said.

"The government has offered support to Ukraine in a variety of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, healthcare and education, and will continue reviewing measures to help Ukraine recover peace and rebuild," the official said, appearing to reaffirm Seoul's position that supplying weapons to Ukraine remains off the table.

South Korea has maintained a policy of providing Ukraine humanitarian assistance while withholding lethal weapons.

The official's remarks came in response to a social media post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the previous day, in which he said North Korea was set for an additional troop deployment to Russia.

Zelenskyy shared an interview he had with a Ukrainian media company on his X page, saying, "A decision has been made for 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed on the territory of Russia."

North Korea will gain more experience in modern warfare through its cooperation with Russia, Zelenskyy said, adding Seoul should deepen cooperation with Ukraine under such circumstances and that Kyiv is seeking Seoul's support for air defense systems and other capabilities.

"They have a legal restriction under their Constitution. But we would like to have this cooperation and are counting on it. Our diplomats are in contact," he wrote.

The South Korean official declined to confirm Zelenskyy's claims about diplomatic discussions on the matter or about the additional deployment of North Korean troops.

But the official said military cooperation between North Korea and Russia "is directly related to our security and violates the United Nations resolutions," adding, "Our government's position is that this cooperation should stop immediately. We are following the matter closely."

After Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a mutual defense pact in June 2024, Pyongyang is believed to have sent around 20,000 combat troops and military engineers to the Kursk region to support Moscow in its war with Kyiv.