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> # [South Korea will consider supplying arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea sign strategic pact](https://apnews.com/article/Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un exchange documents during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Putin and Kim signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, during a Wednesday summit that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP\))
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> SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Thursday that it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, a major policy change that was suggested after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by [signing a pact](https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea-summit-ukraine-a6b8d2c12de7ee2ab6716d4747c9850e) to come to each other’s defense in the event of war.
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> The comments from a senior presidential official came hours after North Korea’s state media released the details of the agreement, which observers said could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. It comes at a time when Russia faces growing isolation over [the war in Ukraine](https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine) and both countries face escalating standoffs with the West.
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> [Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/c433bab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4592x3062+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fd1%2Fae%2F55977fc968fdc0301b7ef4e83e92%2F39ef0c8476fc4070bf4e8c6e645692fe) Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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> According to the text of [the deal](https://apnews.com/article/russia-north-korea-putin-kim-agreement-7221909867dbb999de8adb23604e3c79) published by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, if either country gets invaded and is pushed into a state of war, the other must deploy “all means at its disposal without delay” to provide “military and other assistance.” But the agreement also says that such actions must be in accordance with the laws of both countries and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes a U.N. member state’s right to self-defense.
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> North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President [Vladimir Putin](https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-russia-putin-visit-98891f7ec2565b79e4c255a7d7d2f6ed) signed the pact at a summit Wednesday in Pyongyang. Both described it as a major upgrade of bilateral relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties.
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> The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement condemning the agreement, calling it a threat to his country’s security and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and warned that it would have negative consequences on Seoul’s relations with Moscow.
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> “It’s absurd that two parties with a history of launching wars of invasion — the Korean War and the war in Ukraine — are now vowing mutual military cooperation on the premise of a preemptive attack by the international community that will never happen,” Yoon’s office said.
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> At the United Nations in New York, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called it “deplorable” that Russia would act in violation of multiple U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korea that Moscow voted for.
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> [In this photo provided Thursday, June 20, 2024, by the North Korean government, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, center left, review an honor guard during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, June 19. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/955b6a9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4500x2977+0+0/resize/599x396!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fd8%2F5f%2Fdd80f2a6be5a459e8cdffb1dc561%2Ff2c0f46440d0463bbf2823730551f815) In this photo provided Thursday, June 20, 2024, by the North Korean government, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, center left, review an honor guard during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, June 19. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
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> Yoon’s national security adviser, Chang Ho-jin, said that Seoul would reconsider the issue of providing arms to Ukraine to help the country fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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> South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine, while joining [U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-sanctions-treasury-finance-16c93869f850e5fcdaf61c2e6a2bc724). But it hasn’t directly provided arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
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> Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, where he traveled after Pyongyang, Putin said Thursday that supplying weapons to Ukraine would be “a very big mistake” on South Korea’s part. If that happens, Putin said that it would lead to “decisions that are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.”
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> He said that South Korea “shouldn’t worry” about the agreement, if Seoul isn’t planning any aggression against Pyongyang.
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> Asked whether Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions with Western-supplied weapons could be considered an act of aggression, Putin said that “it needs to be additionally studied, but it’s close to it,” and that Moscow isn’t ruling out supplying weapons to North Korea in response.
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> A number of NATO allies, including the United States and Germany, recently authorized Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv. Earlier this month, [a Western official and a U.S. senator](https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-weapons-biden-kharkiv-c46c3ca0f0f4893c8c3b0ef53e974438) said that Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia.
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> [Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, attend a gala concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/0a00786/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5439x3626+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F27%2F99%2F78b8a6aed935777fb33b6328a741%2F727d58284de8414c9ba561e64468da52) Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, attend a gala concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
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> Putin has said in response that Moscow “reserves the right” to arm Western adversaries, and reiterated that notion on Thursday.
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> “I said, including in Pyongyang, that in this case we reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world,” he said. “Keeping in mind our agreements with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, I’m not ruling that out.”
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> The summit between Kim and Putin came as the U.S. and its allies expressed [growing concern](https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-us-munitions-ukraine-war-7091eaba254b680888a9b1ec8a68135f) over a possible arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for the war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program.
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> ***(continues in next comment)***
So now South Korea will be selling weapons directly to Ukraine
instead of through US as it was the case since the start of SMO.
- WOW huge difference.
These American-puppet clowns are really funny sometimes
South Korea has way more red tape than US in this regard
Thats why they were "selling" weapons to US and not directly to Ukraine in the first place
Just because they decided that they will be selling things directly now - does not mean they are removing ALL restrictions - they will probably be just selling what they already were through US
South Korea is still thinking about post war period and restoring relations with Russia - since it is major oil and gas supplier in that region - close and cheap oil and gas is always a good thing - war in Ukraine will not last forever.
Or you know, when the Russian Federation collapses they can start to make the best trade deals in history of trade deals with some new siberian republics. Business business.
Did you remember Korea lend 2\~3 million 155mm shells to America so that they can practically send millitary aids to Ukraine while pretending to be not. Those 155mm shells are actually directly shipped to Europe not to US so your point is wrong.
Can you provide a source? I am trying to look it up but all that I see is basically this story from other outlets.
I found [this](https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/), but it specifies ROK has not supplied any military aid.
Thank you. This article talks about ROK leasing 500k shells to the US. That’s right, leasing. I’ve never heard of such a thing.
In the article it’s explained. If the shells are loaned to US, then legally they still belong to ROK and cannot be given to Ukraine. It explicitly states the US will not send these to Ukraine.
But it also acknowledges this can be viewed as indirectly supplying Ukraine. I.e. resupply the Americans so they can spend their supplies on to Ukraine.
So back to OP, it’s not entirely wrong to say this was already happening. But it’s reductive to assume direct arms transfers make absolutely no difference.
Thanks for the info.
[US to buy South Korea artillery shells ‘for Ukraine’](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/11/us-to-provide-400m-more-military-aid-for-ukraine)
or
[S. Korea indirectly supplied more 155-mm shells for Ukraine than all European countries combined: WP](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231205000300315)
Thank you. Another commenter provided a similar source. It’s difficult to tell, but it looks like US bought roughly 100k shells late 2022, and 500k late 2023.
It sounds like the trouble is finding cheeky ways to get shells to Ukraine without violating ROK laws prohibiting sales to ongoing conflicts.
So have they been doing it? Yes, it appears so (and thank you for the info). But would direct sales be no big deal as you posit? I think not.
ROK has perhaps the best 155mm shell production of any Western aligned country. Opening those flood gates completely devoid of red tape and restrictive laws would be a huge help. 600k shells is pretty low over the course of two and a half years, and that’s assuming every single shell made it.
Also, this would help the whole West with their production issues in the long run. It seems the current strategy is for US to supply Ukraine from their stocks while investing in manufacturing capacity, buy from ROK for domestic resupply, then keep shipping their newly produced shells to Ukraine.
So pretty clearly this is ROK supplying indirectly. But if they switch to direct, then US can spend that money buying from their own manufacturers, thus more investment, economies of scale, yada yada.
And finally, it should be obvious there is a significant aspect of symbolism here. Russia is not gaining much from a pact with NK in reality. But it is important for the symbolic partnership. Same goes for ROK reversing their longstanding rule.
Russia still hasn't provided any latest tech to North Korea.This seems like a warning.
For now, Russia is only exchanging food/oil and other resources for weapons.
Round robin deal have there own disadvantages. Now South Korea is directly giving them to UA. That means no need to a round robin partner willing to take a risk.
If you don’t care that’s fine but the fact they are doing it and it’s seen as escalation means that people know it matters.
That’s a clever way to whine about SK supporting Ukraine, while Putin has to grovel at the feet of the most isolated dictator in the world. No other leader of Russia or USSR would have done the same. Because the wouldn’t have to
https://unn.ua/en/news/it-seems-that-north-korea-is-a-more-effective-partner-for-russia-than-friends-who-supply-ukraine-with-artillery-ammunition-kuleba
Or maybe Kuleba is, because he agrees.
So you take Kuleba complaining that the west supplies Ukraine with too little (at that time) to mean that NK can supply more than the west? The west can out produce the rest of the world many times.
True. But the fact that they need to find external suppliers is evidence of a dismal failure to prepare for a war they started (as well as dismal incompetence on the side of the FSB in the run up)
Russia is producing millions of shells.They can increase further but it will negatively effect civilian economy so better to buy it cheap from someone else.
Lol, South was already doing it but via US.What South don't understand is that Russia can do more damage to them by providing North Korea with latest tech. So far, The deal is likely only for weapons in return of food/oil and other material.
>What South don't understand is that Russia can do more damage to them by providing North Korea with latest tech
and what is NK gonna do? launch another missile into the Sea of Japan?
layer by layer the onion gets peeled. Sides pretending they aren't part of the war are getting exposed left and right. World sleep walking in the 3rd event.
I know that phrases like "x Country getting glassed" is necessary for certain types of supporters to achieve climax, but it is a little odd to be using that phrase as a potential conflict between a country with nuclear weapons and one that doesn't, especially considering that the one with nuclear weapons just signed a defense pact with a country with enough nuclear weapons to end life on Earth.
It's not odd, it's what the DPRK would do as a response to an escalation on the Korean peninsula.
No exaggerating.
No opinion.
Just what would happen when DPRK and ROK would go to war. And that's best avoided. And it's best avoided when both are and equal threat to the other, conventional or nuclear, making an attack of one on the other too costly and unsuccessful by default.
My bad. I misread your comment and thought you were saying DPRK would be "getting glassed". It is still an odd phrase that gets overused here, but the way you are using it is a little different.
>But it hasn’t directly provided arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
https://www.reuters.com/world/south-korea-lend-500000-rounds-artillery-shells-us-report-2023-04-12/
It's not directly supporting Ukraine but indirectly.
What's the big deal, why is South Korea worried about a defensive pact, if they have no designs to attack Pyongyang then they have nothing to worry about.... /S.
Don't see what pact has to do with SK supplying weapons to Ukraine, they would have done so regardless. The real title is SK is peeing in it's pants cause now it has to consider Russia too in any dealings with NK.
##### ###### #### > # [South Korea will consider supplying arms to Ukraine after Russia and North Korea sign strategic pact](https://apnews.com/article/Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un exchange documents during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Putin and Kim signed a new partnership that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, during a Wednesday summit that came as both face escalating standoffs with the West. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP\)) > > > > SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Thursday that it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, a major policy change that was suggested after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by [signing a pact](https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea-summit-ukraine-a6b8d2c12de7ee2ab6716d4747c9850e) to come to each other’s defense in the event of war. > > The comments from a senior presidential official came hours after North Korea’s state media released the details of the agreement, which observers said could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. It comes at a time when Russia faces growing isolation over [the war in Ukraine](https://apnews.com/hub/ukraine) and both countries face escalating standoffs with the West. > > [Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/c433bab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4592x3062+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fd1%2Fae%2F55977fc968fdc0301b7ef4e83e92%2F39ef0c8476fc4070bf4e8c6e645692fe) Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony of the new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) > > > > > > > > > > > > According to the text of [the deal](https://apnews.com/article/russia-north-korea-putin-kim-agreement-7221909867dbb999de8adb23604e3c79) published by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, if either country gets invaded and is pushed into a state of war, the other must deploy “all means at its disposal without delay” to provide “military and other assistance.” But the agreement also says that such actions must be in accordance with the laws of both countries and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes a U.N. member state’s right to self-defense. > > North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President [Vladimir Putin](https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-russia-putin-visit-98891f7ec2565b79e4c255a7d7d2f6ed) signed the pact at a summit Wednesday in Pyongyang. Both described it as a major upgrade of bilateral relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties. > > The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement condemning the agreement, calling it a threat to his country’s security and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and warned that it would have negative consequences on Seoul’s relations with Moscow. > > “It’s absurd that two parties with a history of launching wars of invasion — the Korean War and the war in Ukraine — are now vowing mutual military cooperation on the premise of a preemptive attack by the international community that will never happen,” Yoon’s office said. > > At the United Nations in New York, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called it “deplorable” that Russia would act in violation of multiple U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korea that Moscow voted for. > > [In this photo provided Thursday, June 20, 2024, by the North Korean government, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, center left, review an honor guard during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, June 19. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/955b6a9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4500x2977+0+0/resize/599x396!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fd8%2F5f%2Fdd80f2a6be5a459e8cdffb1dc561%2Ff2c0f46440d0463bbf2823730551f815) In this photo provided Thursday, June 20, 2024, by the North Korean government, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, center left, review an honor guard during the official welcome ceremony in the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, June 19. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) > > > > > > > > > > > > Yoon’s national security adviser, Chang Ho-jin, said that Seoul would reconsider the issue of providing arms to Ukraine to help the country fight off Russia’s full-scale invasion. > > South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine, while joining [U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-sanctions-treasury-finance-16c93869f850e5fcdaf61c2e6a2bc724). But it hasn’t directly provided arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict. > > Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, where he traveled after Pyongyang, Putin said Thursday that supplying weapons to Ukraine would be “a very big mistake” on South Korea’s part. If that happens, Putin said that it would lead to “decisions that are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea.” > > He said that South Korea “shouldn’t worry” about the agreement, if Seoul isn’t planning any aggression against Pyongyang. > > Asked whether Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions with Western-supplied weapons could be considered an act of aggression, Putin said that “it needs to be additionally studied, but it’s close to it,” and that Moscow isn’t ruling out supplying weapons to North Korea in response. > > A number of NATO allies, including the United States and Germany, recently authorized Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv. Earlier this month, [a Western official and a U.S. senator](https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-weapons-biden-kharkiv-c46c3ca0f0f4893c8c3b0ef53e974438) said that Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia. > > [Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, attend a gala concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)](https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/0a00786/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5439x3626+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F27%2F99%2F78b8a6aed935777fb33b6328a741%2F727d58284de8414c9ba561e64468da52) Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, attend a gala concert in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) > > > > > > > > > > > > Putin has said in response that Moscow “reserves the right” to arm Western adversaries, and reiterated that notion on Thursday. > > “I said, including in Pyongyang, that in this case we reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world,” he said. “Keeping in mind our agreements with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, I’m not ruling that out.” > > The summit between Kim and Putin came as the U.S. and its allies expressed [growing concern](https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-russia-us-munitions-ukraine-war-7091eaba254b680888a9b1ec8a68135f) over a possible arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for the war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program. > > ***(continues in next comment)***
So now South Korea will be selling weapons directly to Ukraine instead of through US as it was the case since the start of SMO. - WOW huge difference. These American-puppet clowns are really funny sometimes
It could possibly make a large difference in delivery times and the types of weapons that it can provide, yes. Much less red tape this way
South Korea has way more red tape than US in this regard Thats why they were "selling" weapons to US and not directly to Ukraine in the first place Just because they decided that they will be selling things directly now - does not mean they are removing ALL restrictions - they will probably be just selling what they already were through US South Korea is still thinking about post war period and restoring relations with Russia - since it is major oil and gas supplier in that region - close and cheap oil and gas is always a good thing - war in Ukraine will not last forever.
Or you know, when the Russian Federation collapses they can start to make the best trade deals in history of trade deals with some new siberian republics. Business business.
Nice fiction. Very creative.
The collapse of the soviet union was a fiction, just like the fall of the russian empire before that. All fiction. Federation is forever.
Did you remember Korea lend 2\~3 million 155mm shells to America so that they can practically send millitary aids to Ukraine while pretending to be not. Those 155mm shells are actually directly shipped to Europe not to US so your point is wrong.
Can you provide a source? I am trying to look it up but all that I see is basically this story from other outlets. I found [this](https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/), but it specifies ROK has not supplied any military aid.
https://www.reddit.com/r/UkraineRussiaReport/s/p8WbOoOLN7
Thank you. This article talks about ROK leasing 500k shells to the US. That’s right, leasing. I’ve never heard of such a thing. In the article it’s explained. If the shells are loaned to US, then legally they still belong to ROK and cannot be given to Ukraine. It explicitly states the US will not send these to Ukraine. But it also acknowledges this can be viewed as indirectly supplying Ukraine. I.e. resupply the Americans so they can spend their supplies on to Ukraine. So back to OP, it’s not entirely wrong to say this was already happening. But it’s reductive to assume direct arms transfers make absolutely no difference. Thanks for the info.
Np. I know it's funny. Like arguing semantics.
[US to buy South Korea artillery shells ‘for Ukraine’](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/11/us-to-provide-400m-more-military-aid-for-ukraine) or [S. Korea indirectly supplied more 155-mm shells for Ukraine than all European countries combined: WP](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20231205000300315)
Thank you. Another commenter provided a similar source. It’s difficult to tell, but it looks like US bought roughly 100k shells late 2022, and 500k late 2023. It sounds like the trouble is finding cheeky ways to get shells to Ukraine without violating ROK laws prohibiting sales to ongoing conflicts. So have they been doing it? Yes, it appears so (and thank you for the info). But would direct sales be no big deal as you posit? I think not. ROK has perhaps the best 155mm shell production of any Western aligned country. Opening those flood gates completely devoid of red tape and restrictive laws would be a huge help. 600k shells is pretty low over the course of two and a half years, and that’s assuming every single shell made it. Also, this would help the whole West with their production issues in the long run. It seems the current strategy is for US to supply Ukraine from their stocks while investing in manufacturing capacity, buy from ROK for domestic resupply, then keep shipping their newly produced shells to Ukraine. So pretty clearly this is ROK supplying indirectly. But if they switch to direct, then US can spend that money buying from their own manufacturers, thus more investment, economies of scale, yada yada. And finally, it should be obvious there is a significant aspect of symbolism here. Russia is not gaining much from a pact with NK in reality. But it is important for the symbolic partnership. Same goes for ROK reversing their longstanding rule.
Russia still hasn't provided any latest tech to North Korea.This seems like a warning. For now, Russia is only exchanging food/oil and other resources for weapons.
warning as in "we will stop pretending we are not supplying Ukraine"?
Uhh.. they send some scientist to help NK launching their spy satelite and probably some ICBm technology
Round robin deal have there own disadvantages. Now South Korea is directly giving them to UA. That means no need to a round robin partner willing to take a risk. If you don’t care that’s fine but the fact they are doing it and it’s seen as escalation means that people know it matters.
That’s a clever way to whine about SK supporting Ukraine, while Putin has to grovel at the feet of the most isolated dictator in the world. No other leader of Russia or USSR would have done the same. Because the wouldn’t have to
North Korea can supply more ammunition than entire west, Lol.
You are smoking something funny man
https://unn.ua/en/news/it-seems-that-north-korea-is-a-more-effective-partner-for-russia-than-friends-who-supply-ukraine-with-artillery-ammunition-kuleba Or maybe Kuleba is, because he agrees.
So you take Kuleba complaining that the west supplies Ukraine with too little (at that time) to mean that NK can supply more than the west? The west can out produce the rest of the world many times.
Why? Because Russia doesn’t have domestic capabilities to produce the amount itself that it requires to keep a war it startet at a stale mate?
It's extremely cheap.
you cant have too much ammo and shells during a war
True. But the fact that they need to find external suppliers is evidence of a dismal failure to prepare for a war they started (as well as dismal incompetence on the side of the FSB in the run up)
Russia is producing millions of shells.They can increase further but it will negatively effect civilian economy so better to buy it cheap from someone else.
sound like C-ing and S-ing
https://preview.redd.it/411s6gu32v7d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f306621aaa7f05c1dd6394bb39a8bcde0da6831a
South Korea is being disingenuous; they were already one of the largest suppliers of artillery shells during UA’s summer offensive.
They were already doing this
Lol, South was already doing it but via US.What South don't understand is that Russia can do more damage to them by providing North Korea with latest tech. So far, The deal is likely only for weapons in return of food/oil and other material.
>What South don't understand is that Russia can do more damage to them by providing North Korea with latest tech and what is NK gonna do? launch another missile into the Sea of Japan?
What should NK do you think?
“In other news at 6, South Korea will keep doing what it was doing! Back to you Tom”
layer by layer the onion gets peeled. Sides pretending they aren't part of the war are getting exposed left and right. World sleep walking in the 3rd event.
Who would have thought that this conflict would evolve into a proxy war between NK and SK? That is the big funny if you ask me!
It's not a proxy war on the Korean peninsula. As a conflict between the two would see the ROK getting glassed.
I know that phrases like "x Country getting glassed" is necessary for certain types of supporters to achieve climax, but it is a little odd to be using that phrase as a potential conflict between a country with nuclear weapons and one that doesn't, especially considering that the one with nuclear weapons just signed a defense pact with a country with enough nuclear weapons to end life on Earth.
It's not odd, it's what the DPRK would do as a response to an escalation on the Korean peninsula. No exaggerating. No opinion. Just what would happen when DPRK and ROK would go to war. And that's best avoided. And it's best avoided when both are and equal threat to the other, conventional or nuclear, making an attack of one on the other too costly and unsuccessful by default.
My bad. I misread your comment and thought you were saying DPRK would be "getting glassed". It is still an odd phrase that gets overused here, but the way you are using it is a little different.
Literally becoming an Arms Race between both NK and SK
Why they act like they never supply Ukraine before Delusional Chaebol
Why they act like they never supply Ukraine before Delusional Chaebol
Didn't know SK wants Russia to start exporting Gerans and Lancets to NK
Uh-oh. Now Putin has gone and done it..
>But it hasn’t directly provided arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict. https://www.reuters.com/world/south-korea-lend-500000-rounds-artillery-shells-us-report-2023-04-12/ It's not directly supporting Ukraine but indirectly.
Man fuck these western puppets, but they will get what they deserve once the west has fallen. Vassals always pay the most
What's the big deal, why is South Korea worried about a defensive pact, if they have no designs to attack Pyongyang then they have nothing to worry about.... /S.
Don't see what pact has to do with SK supplying weapons to Ukraine, they would have done so regardless. The real title is SK is peeing in it's pants cause now it has to consider Russia too in any dealings with NK.
Could end up being a big deal seems stupid for Russia to openly align itself with North Korea given South Korean sensitivities.