President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted that South Korea would arm Ukraine if it suffered a large-scale civilian onslaught.
Yoon told Reuters that his administration is researching ways to defend and reconstruct Ukraine, the as South Korea did during the 1950-53 Korean War.
“If there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war, it might be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support,” Yoon added.
After a year, Seoul offered weaponry to Ukraine.
South Korea, a U.S. ally and major artillery ammunition supplier, has avoided antagonizing Russia due to its companies operating there and Moscow’s influence over North Korea, despite mounting pressure from Western countries for arms supplies.
“I believe there won’t be limitations to the extent of support to defend and restore a country that’s been illegally invaded both under international and domestic law,” Yoon added. “However, considering our relationship with the parties engaged in the war and developments in the battlefield, we will take the most appropriate measures.”
For the 70th anniversary of the alliance, Yoon will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington next week.
Yoon said he would seek “tangible outcomes” on the allies’ attempts to enhance responses to North Korea, which has increased weapons tests and launched its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last week.
Yoon said Seoul would boost surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence analysis and develop “ultra-high-performance, high-power weapons” to counter the North.
“If South and North Korea start a nuclear war, Northeast Asia will likely burn. “Stop that,” he said.
Yoon said they concentrate on bilateral steps to increase information-sharing, cooperative contingency planning, and collaborative execution.
South Korea and the U.S. held tabletop drills simulating a North Korean nuclear assault in February as part of Seoul’s efforts to influence Washington’s North Korean nuclear strategy.
Yoon advised stronger measures than NATO to retaliate against a powerful nuclear assault.
“I think there’s no big problem if Japan is joining, but since there’s been much progress between the U.S. and South Korea, it would be more efficient to create this system ourselves first.”
Recently, the North has threatened “more practical and offensive” action over South Korea-U.S. exercises and ignored inter-Korean hotlines.
Yoon is open to peace discussions but opposes any “surprise” summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to “show off” to people for domestic political reasons.
He added that former governments’ hasty, misinformed announcements of inter-Korean discussions did not establish trust.
Moon Jae-in, Yoon’s predecessor, helped arrange Kim’s 2018 meeting with Trump.
After a second failed summit between Kim and Trump, the North undertook unprecedented nuclear testing.
“They used those talks ahead of elections, but ultimately inter-Korean relations were always back to square one,” Yoon added.
He said humanitarian aid might start a conversation, and both sides could go on to more contentious matters like the economy and military.
Last year, Yoon’s administration offered COVID-19 respite and economic aid for nuclear disarmament, but Pyongyang refused.
“If previous talks had proceeded step by step… before the leaders met, the inter-Korean relationship would have developed steadily, though at a snail’s pace,” Yoon said.
With China being South Korea’s major economic partner, Yoon has been cautious about Sino-U.S. rivalry but more strident about Taiwan Strait friction.
Beijing’s diplomatic and military pressure on democratic Taiwan, which it claims, has raised tensions.
“After all, these tensions occurred because of attempts to change the status quo by force, and we together with the international community absolutely oppose such a change,” Yoon stated.
“Like North Korea, the Taiwan issue is global.”
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