The South Korean government is maintaining a cautious position on Ukraine's request for air defense support and other military supplies, a senior government official said Monday, amid Ukraine's statements that North Korea is preparing to send more troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, UNN reports, citing The Korea Times.
South Korea's provision of defense materials to any country has always been carried out in accordance with domestic law
"The government has offered support to Ukraine in various sectors, including energy, infrastructure, healthcare and education, and will continue to review measures to help Ukraine restore peace and rebuild," the official said, as the publication notes, "apparently confirming Seoul's position that supplying weapons to Ukraine remains off the table."
South Korea adheres to a policy of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine while withholding lethal weapons.
The official's remarks came in response to a social media post by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which he said that North Korea was ready to send additional troops to Russia.
North Korea will gain more experience in modern warfare through cooperation with Russia, Zelenskyy said, adding that Seoul should deepen cooperation with Ukraine under these circumstances, and that Kyiv is seeking Seoul's support for air defense systems and other capabilities.
"They have a legal restriction under the Constitution. But we would like to have this cooperation and are counting on it. Our diplomats are in contact," he wrote.
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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 that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia "is directly linked to our security and violates United Nations resolutions," adding: "Our government's position is that this cooperation must be stopped immediately. We are closely monitoring this issue."