South Korea refuses to sell arms to Ukraine

The South Korean government did not express interest in supplying weapons and weapons components during a meeting with Defense Minister Rustem Umierov in Seoul.

South Korean publication SBS News reported on this.

The Ukrainian delegation, headed by Defense Minister Umierov, paid a courtesy call to President Yun Seok-yeol and met with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

During the meeting, the Ukrainian side reportedly assured representatives of the South Korean government that Ukraine seeks to buy weapons, not receive them for free.

A government source said that this did not regard strike weapons systems. Ukraine was interested in Korean Cheongung air defense systems, air surveillance radars, and counter-battery radars.

Ukrainian representatives also expressed a desire to purchase 155-mm artillery ammunition or, in the event of a refusal to supply shells, at least their components, particularly powder charges.

The newspaper also reported, citing its contacts with defense companies, that “major defense companies, including LIG Nex1, Hanwha and Hyundai Rotem, have been instructed to refrain from contacting Ukraine regarding arms purchases.”

The main problem with arms exports to Ukraine is a possible violation of local foreign trade laws that restrict arms exports to a war zone.

In addition, due to the export success of Korean weapons in the global market, the Cheongung system manufacturer will not be able to export new products until 2030, and the manufacturers of K9 self-propelled howitzers, K2 tanks, and K239 Cheonmu rocket launchers do not have finished products in stock.

Prior to the meeting, the South Korean military released footage of recent exercises in which Soviet T-80U tanks and BMP-3 combat vehicles were used as targets for attack drones.

Several photos that have been leaked to the media show that at least two tanks with numbers 1 and 2 were used to test the drones’ effectiveness. Also, one BMP-3 was seen, although there could have been two, just like the tanks.

The country received Soviet-era tanks and armored personnel carriers from Russia in 1995-2006 as part of the repayment of the former Soviet Union’s debts. Theoretically, this equipment could have been quickly used by the Ukrainian military if it had been transferred by the local government.