South Korea mulls missile aid for Ukraine amid fears about North Korean troops in Russia

President Yoon Suk-yeol warned of a “grave situation” if North Korean troops join the conflict, prompting Seoul to weigh its options for supporting Ukraine

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has warned of a “grave situation” if North Korean forces join the conflict in Ukraine. Photo: EPA-EFE/Pool

Published: 8:00am, 31 Oct 2024

South Korea is weighing whether to supply Ukraine with surface-to-air missiles or other military equipment as President Yoon Suk-yeol warned that North Korean troops could be deployed to fight for Russia sooner than anticipated, a scenario he described as a “grave situation”.

Yoo Yong-won, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party, said during a radio interview on Wednesday that the government was considering transferring retired HAWK surface-to-air missiles.

His comments came amid statements from Yoon that Pyongyang’s forces, now reportedly training in Russia, could see combat sooner than expected.

“North Korean forces’ deployment in the battlefields in Ukraine could take place at a faster than expected pace, which is a grave situation,” Yoon was quoted during a call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.

Yoon said the possible transfer of North Korean troops to the front lines required a “strong and united response” from the international community.

A senior security official in Yoon’s office said on the same day that South Korea had no immediate plans to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, and would only consider providing defensive arms first.