South Korea may consider sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia-North Korea alliance grows

Yoon Suk Yeol made this statement after a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Seoul, Yonhap reports.

The South Korean leader promised that the state "will not sit idly by" in response to the sending of troops from the DPRK to Russia.

"If North Korea dispatches special forces to the Ukraine war, we will provide support to Ukraine step by step and consider taking necessary measures for the security of the Korean Peninsula," he said.

He added that Seoul adhered to the principle of not directly supplying lethal weapons, but the country could consider this more flexibly depending on North Korea's military activities.

"The Republic of Korea will never sit idle over this and take necessary measures step by step in coordination with the international community depending on the development of N. Korea-Russia military cooperation," Yoon said, referring to South Korea's official name.

During the summit, Suk Yeol and Duda condemned Pyongyang's sending of troops to Russia, describing it as a direct violation of the UN Charter and UN Security Council resolutions and a provocation that threatens global security beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe.

• On October 22, it was reported that South Korea was considering providing Ukraine with military and intelligence assistance in response to North Korea's actions in sending its military to fight on the side of Russia.