Ukraine's 'Shell Support' Becoming Reality? ... Is the Secret Agreement True?

Report on Plan to Transport Hundreds of Thousands of Artillery Shells to Ukraine
Kim Byung-joo: "High Probability of Artillery Support Being True"
Security Stalemate on Korean Peninsula, Concerns Over Safety of Russian Residents

Foreign media reports have caused a stir by revealing that South Korea and the United States are secretly preparing a plan to transfer hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine.

Although our government has stated that ammunition support is not currently being provided to Ukraine, it has left open the possibility of ammunition support depending on the progress of the war, raising concerns that security on the Korean Peninsula could become strained in the future. Earlier, following President Yoon Suk-yeol's remarks hinting at the possibility of supporting Ukraine, concerns were also raised about the safety of Russian residents in Korea.

On the 24th (local time), the U.S. Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that South Korea is transferring artillery shells to the United States under a secret agreement, and the U.S. is preparing to send them sequentially to Ukraine.

On the 25th, Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu responded, "There are some inaccuracies," and said, "Our government's position on support for Ukraine remains unchanged." He added, "There have been discussions between the U.S. Department of Defense and our companies regarding ammunition exports, but it is limited to verify and explain the details one by one," and further stated, "Since there have been requests for mine-clearing equipment and emergency evacuation vehicles from Ukraine, we are actively reviewing support measures."

National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong also stated during the National Assembly's Steering Committee briefing on the 24th that ammunition is not currently being directly supported or indirectly supported through Poland. However, Director Cho's remark that "we will review the situation later based on the progress of the war and other circumstances" is interpreted as leaving open the possibility of ammunition support to Ukraine.

Since the war in Ukraine began with Russia's invasion in February last year, the Ukrainian government and Western countries including the United States have requested South Korea to support the Ukrainian military with weapons and ammunition.

Until now, our government has limited support to non-lethal items, that is, economic and humanitarian aid, citing the need to consider security on the Korean Peninsula and relations with Russia.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the situation changed after President Yoon hinted at the possibility of weapons support in an interview with foreign media on the 19th of last month. In the interview, President Yoon said, "If there is a large-scale attack on civilians, a mass massacre that the international community cannot tolerate, or a serious violation of the laws of war, it may be difficult to insist on only humanitarian or financial support."

In response, the Russian government warned that "South Korea's weapons support to Ukraine means intervention at a certain stage of the war," raising concerns about trade with Russia and the safety of local Korean residents.

Five Korean organizations in Russia and Central Asia also issued a joint statement opposing the South Korean government's possible support of lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The five organizations, including the Korean Associations of Saint Petersburg, Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin in Russia, and those in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, released a statement on the 24th of last month, expressing "great concern about the current situation where South Korea could be caught up in conflicts among surrounding major powers, causing unwanted harm to its people," and urged, "The South Korean government must declare a principle of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine under any circumstances."

Kim Byung-joo, a four-star general and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed concern, saying, "If we support lethal weapons such as ammunition to Ukraine, we will become hostile to Russia, which would bring a major crisis to our security." He also believes that the WSJ report on ammunition support to Ukraine is likely true.

He also expressed concern about the lack of disclosure of information related to artillery shell support. On the 26th, on YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon,' he said, "If it is a matter that greatly affects national security, it should naturally be announced to the public and a national consensus should be formed," adding, "It is similar to dispatching troops."

Kim explained, "Troop dispatch requires the consent of the National Assembly. That means gaining national consensus and approval from the people," and "because it is directly related to national security."

He continued, "Sending lethal weapons such as artillery shells to a war zone has an even greater impact on the country than sending dispatched troops," and criticized, "This should not be done behind closed doors. Whether direct or indirect support, if artillery shells are provided, it greatly affects the country. Is it reasonable that this information is revealed through foreign media rather than the Presidential Office or our government?"

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