Korea-US-Japan Summit... Will Step-by-Step Countermeasures Be Prepared? [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

North Korean Military's Official Entry into Ukraine War
President Yoon Expected to Prepare 'Scenario-Based Response Plans'

With the official confirmation of North Korean troops' participation in the Ukraine war, attention is focused on whether the "scenario-based phased response measures" warned by President Yoon Suk-yeol will be prepared. It is expected that such measures could be developed in line with the coordinated response arranged during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Yonhap News

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, said during a briefing on President Joe Biden's flight to Peru on the 14th that the trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan is "an opportunity to confirm that the three leaders share the same understanding regarding North Korea's participation and to coordinate a trilateral response." Accordingly, it is anticipated that the "coordinated response" to be discussed at this trilateral summit will include South Korea's weapons support for Ukraine.

If North Korea deploys troops in the form of an independent division assigned to a specific area in the Kharkiv region, this would clearly constitute a "dispatch of troops." This means they are not mercenaries individually under Russian military command and control. If South Korea, the U.S., and Japan officially confirm the troop dispatch, it would enable not only military responses at the NATO level but also weapons support from our government.

Our government also reaffirmed on the 14th its position regarding North Korean troops deployed to the combat zone for Russia, which invaded Ukraine, stating that it will "take effective and phased measures based on calm and restrained principles."

Following the Ministry of Unification, Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu also responded to related questions at a regular briefing on the same day, saying, "North Korea is ultimately driving its troops as cannon fodder mercenaries, committing inhumane and anti-peace criminal acts," and added, "The Ministry of National Defense will never tolerate such behavior and will respond firmly according to government policy."

If our government begins full-scale support, it is expected that monitoring dispatches will be prioritized. This would allow for the assessment of North Korean special forces' tactics and combat capabilities on-site in Ukraine, and in the event of North Korean prisoners of war, direct involvement in their interrogation could be possible. We may also provide intelligence on North Korean troops to the Ukrainian side.

Within and outside the military, considering future negotiation leverage against Russia, a phased approach is strongly favored, starting with support for defensive weapon systems and later providing lethal weapons. Ukraine is currently requesting air defense systems capable of countering ballistic missiles, 155mm artillery shells, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).

The Cheongung II medium-range surface-to-air guided missile system, known as the "Korean Patriot," is cited as a priority for support. Given that missiles fly daily and air raid alarms sound in Ukraine, securing an air defense system is urgent. Countries capable of producing ballistic missile and aircraft interception systems like Cheongung II include the U.S., Israel, China, Russia, and South Korea. However, Cheongung II is currently being supplied to our military as well as to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, so it is known that there is a shortage of immediately available units for support. Other air defense weapons under consideration for support to Ukraine include the Cheongung system, which can intercept aircraft, and the Shingung man-portable air defense system.

Yoo Yong-won, a former military correspondent and member of the People Power Party, said on a broadcast regarding Ukraine's weapons support request, "From what I understand, one of the systems the government is reviewing is the 'Hawk,' an older surface-to-air missile," adding, "As new missiles are deployed, the Hawk is being retired, and while its effectiveness has diminished for us, it remains effective for Ukraine."

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