South Korea plans “offensive” weapons for Ukraine after North Korea sends troops

South Korea is considering supplying “offensive” weapons to Ukraine in response to strengthening military ties between North Korea and Russia, officials said Tuesday.

The move is the strongest indication yet that South Korean troops and North Korean forces could potentially enter into direct conflict on Ukrainian soil if the situation escalates.

This came after Seoul summoned Moscow's ambassador following intelligence reports that North Korea had sent a force of 1,500 special forces to Russia this month to take part in the war in Ukraine.

A senior official from President Yoon Suk Yeol's office said South Korea is preparing for the possibility of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine in response to military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

“We are considering supplying defensive weapons as part of a phased approach, and if necessary we may also consider offensive measures,” the official told reporters.

South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement: “Our government has called for an immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops, and if the current military collusion between North Korea and Russia continues, we will not stand idle and will respond strongly together with the international community.” .

South Korea is considering sending a personnel team to Ukraine to monitor the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia, a government source told Yonhap News Agency.

This would represent a significant escalation of North Korea's involvement in the war in favor of its ally Russia.

If the move occurs, it will represent a significant policy shift for Seoul, which has historically refrained from sending weapons to countries engaged in active conflict.

The discussions were sparked by the signing of a mutual defense pact between North Korea and Russia, which raised concerns about the possibility of direct military conflict between South Korean forces.

This came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused North Korea of ​​”interfering” in the war with Ukraine and said the East Asian nation was preparing tens of thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“We know that North Korea is already preparing a contingent to fight Ukraine,” Zelensky said at a news conference in Belgium earlier this month.

South Korea was pressured by Western allies to supply Kiev with weapons, but only provided Ukraine with non-lethal supplies such as gas masks, field rations and emergency aid kits.

Russia has turned to its coalition of allies Iran, China and North Korea for resources across Ukraine as it faces a barrage of sanctions from Kiev's Western partners.

South Korea's intelligence services released satellite images of North Korean troops boarding Russian ships and being transported from China to Vladivostok in eastern Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang in June to hold bilateral talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during which a partnership agreement was signed.

It states that “the other party must immediately provide military and other assistance using all means at its disposal.”

The two leaders held talks before signing the treaty, in which they pledged to provide each other with military aid if either of them were attacked.