[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] 300,000 Korean Artillery Shells Sent to Germany

The Ministry of National Defense stated regarding media reports that our government transported hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Germany, "The South Korean and U.S. governments have been discussing support measures to defend Ukraine's freedom."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At a regular briefing on the 18th, Jeon Ha-gyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, commented on media reports suggesting that more than 300,000 Korean-made 155mm artillery shells were exported overseas.

Spokesperson Jeon said, "Our government has also been actively pursuing support measures for Ukraine, including military supplies," emphasizing, "Such support does not cause any issues with our military's readiness posture." His remarks were interpreted as reaffirming the existing stance without confirming or denying the export of shells overseas.

U.S. Military Ammunition Deployed in Germany to Be Sent to the Battlefield Alongside Troops Training Under U.S. 7th Army Training Command
Korean-made 155mm Artillery Shells (300,000 rounds) Expected to Fill Gaps in Korean Peninsula War Reserve Supplies

Some speculate that ammunition stationed with U.S. forces in Germany will be sent to Ukraine, and the stocks will be replenished with 300,000 Korean-made 155mm artillery shells.

Currently, the U.S. military is conducting a new training program in Germany for Ukrainian forces. This training is carried out by the 7th Army Training Command stationed in Germany, aiming to deploy approximately 500 Ukrainian troops at the battalion level to the battlefield within 5 to 8 weeks.

The ammunition loaned by the government to the U.S. is known to be part of the War Reserve Stockpile for the Korean theater (WRSA-K). WRSA-K refers to ammunition brought to Korea by the U.S. from 1974 over five years in preparation for wartime situations on the Korean Peninsula. Ammunition deployed on the Korean Peninsula is called WRSA-K, while that deployed in Israel is called WRSA-I. WRSA-K ammunition includes about 280 types (worth 5 trillion KRW, weighing 600,000 tons), ranging from old rifles, shells, bombs, to missiles. It accounts for 90% of the war reserve stockpile.

The reason the U.S. requested the loan of WRSA-K ammunition this time is due to the ongoing Ukraine war that started in February last year, which has rapidly depleted the U.S.'s 155mm artillery shell inventory. It is also difficult to export shells produced by domestic defense companies. The annual production volume by domestic defense companies is only about 50,000 to 100,000 rounds of old 155mm shells and 80,000 rounds of new 155mm shells.

If our government provided WRSA-K ammunition, it means that ammunition produced in the U.S. has effectively returned to its home country after about 50 years. However, since our government holds ownership of the WRSA-K ammunition, it is considered difficult to provide shells to Ukraine without consent. The plan is not to send WRSA-K shells directly to Ukraine but to first replenish U.S. military stockpiles, then support Ukraine with the U.S. military's existing shells.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.