South Korea president says 'not ruling out' direct weapons to Ukraine

Major arms exporter South Korea is not ruling out providing weapons directly to Ukraine, President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday, signaling a possible shift in Seoul's stance on the issue.

Yoon also revealed he had discussed North Korea with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in a phone conversation that laid the groundwork for a meeting in the "near future."

South Korea has a long-standing policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict but indicated that could change in light of Pyongyang's deployment of troops to Russia to aid its war efforts in Ukraine.

"Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases," Yoon said at a press conference in Seoul.

"This means we are not ruling out the possibility of providing weapons."

North Korea has become one of the most vocal and significant backers of Russia's full-scale offensive in Ukraine.

Seoul and the West have long accused Pyongyang of supplying artillery shells and missiles to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

The latest accusations, based on intelligence reports, indicate that the North has deployed around 10,000 troops to Russia, suggesting even deeper involvement in the conflict and triggering an outcry and warnings in Seoul, Kiev, and Western capitals.

Yoon stated that his office would monitor unfolding developments related to the operations of North Korean soldiers, and if he decided to provide weapons to Kiev, the initial batch would be defensive.

"If we proceed with weapons support, we would prioritize defensive weapons as a first consideration," he said without elaborating further.

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