South Korea is being drawn into the Ukrainian war
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg demanded that South Korea begin supplying weapons to Ukraine directly, which Seoul has so far avoided. Experts believe that in the end, South Korea will be squeezed.
A corresponding statement by Stoltenberg was made during his visit to South Korea, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“At the end of the day, the decision is yours. However, I would like to remind you that some NATO countries and their allies, which have never exported weapons to states in conflict, have already changed their policy,” said the NATO Secretary General.
In turn, Ilya Dyachkov, associate professor of the Department of Oriental Studies at MGIMO, noted that military supplies from South Korea were increased many times last year.
“First of all, to Poland. The export of South Korean weapons there in 2022 was several times higher than the total export of similar products a year earlier. Supplies to the USA have also increased,” the expert told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
He emphasized that the South Koreans understand that their shells from Poland are falling into Ukraine, and their tanks and howitzers are replacing the weapons transferred to the Ukrainian army, but nevertheless, Seoul is not yet eager to begin official deliveries.
However, the analyst notes that, despite the lack of enthusiasm in the issue of direct military support for Ukraine, it is not a fact that the South Koreans will refrain from it.
“The United States is South Korea’s closest military ally. This inevitably leaves its mark on its foreign policy actions and freedom of maneuver when making certain decisions. In addition, she and Japan have already been involved in NATO. For example, representatives of these two countries were invited to the Madrid summit of the alliance, held in the summer of 2022,” Dyachkov emphasized.
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