CNN
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that South Korea would be making “a very big mistake” if it decides to supply arms to Ukraine, a day after he inked a mutual defense pact with fellow autocrat and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
He also claimed Seoul has “nothing to worry about” concerning the new strategic partnership signed by Russia and North Korea on Wednesday, that pledges to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event the other is attacked.
“Our military assistance to DPRK [the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] in accordance with the treaty we signed only arises if aggression is carried out against one of the signatories of this document,” Putin said. “As far as I know, the Republic of Korea does not plan aggression against the DPRK, which means there is no need to be afraid of our cooperation in this area.”
The deal, which comes against the backdrop of Putin’s grinding war against Ukraine, is the most significant agreement signed by Russia and North Korea in decades and is seen as something of a revival of their 1961 Cold War-era mutual defense pledge. It consolidates the Kim regime’s powerful link with a world power that wields a veto on the UN Security Council and means Russia now has a defense pact with South Korea’s biggest enemy.
North Korea says Kim and Putin’s defense pact permits all available means to assist each other if either nation is attacked
South Korea’s government expressed “grave concern” and condemned Russia and North Korea for signing the treaty.
National Security Director Chang Ho-jin called the treaty “sophistry and absurdity by parties who have abandoned the responsibilities and norms of the international community.”
“The government [of South Korea] will respond resolutely with the international community against any actions that threaten our security,” Chang said.
Chang emphasized the need to strengthen the extended deterrence power of the South Korea-US alliance and the South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation system to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles.
US and South Korean forces hold regular exercises and training in and around the Korean Peninsula, and the two allies have been working more closely with Japan, including recent exercises involving forces from all three countries.
Chang also said South Korea would review the issue of arms provision to Ukraine, but he also noted that Seoul was willing to wait for the Russian government’s explanation of the results of the meeting between Putin and Kim Jong Un.
Currently, South Korea’s policy is not to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine.
When later asked about those comments, Putin said: “As for the supply of lethal weapons to the combat zone in Ukraine, this would be a very big mistake. I hope that this will not happen. If this happens, then we will also make appropriate decisions, which are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.”
Reports from earlier in the war say South Korea may have provided 155mm artillery shells to the United States to replace 155mm rounds sent to Ukraine.
A recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said South Korea’s stockpile of 105mm howitzer rounds could give Ukraine an important battlefield boost if it were released to Kyiv.
“Public reports suggest South Korea has around 3.4 million 105mm artillery shells,” the CSIS report said.
Ukraine has about 100 105mm artillery pieces, the report said.
“During the Vietnam War, these lighter howitzers proved indispensable in firebases, given their high mobility by road and air. Their light weight and mobility would allow Ukrainian artillery units to relocate quickly after firing, a crucial tactic for survivability on the modern battlefield. These howitzers would also allow Ukrainian battlefield commanders to conduct attacks on rough terrain against high-value targets,” the CSIS report said
An official of the US military, which maintains almost 30,000 troops in South Korea, told CNN the closer Russia-North Korea ties were troubling.
“These developments should concern any country that cares about maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, abiding by UN Security Council resolutions, and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence against Russia’s brutal invasion,” the military official said.
Earlier on Thursday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed strong concern about the agreement signed by Russia and North Korea.
The fact that Putin “did not rule out military-technical cooperation with North Korea, which could be a direct violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, is a point of serious concern from the perspective of its possible impact on the security environment surrounding our country,” Hayashi said in a press conference.
