Ukraine may request S. Korea for defensive weapon support

[Anchor]

It has been reported that a Ukrainian special envoy is expected to visit South Korea soon.

There are possibilities that they will request support for defensive weapons.

Kim Yong-jun has analyzed what support is realistically possible and what the pros and cons of that would be.

[Report]

In an exclusive interview with KBS, the Ukrainian president mentioned that support for defense and air defense systems is urgently needed.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy/President of Ukraine/Oct.30: "The most urgent need is for defense, especially air defense systems."]

Recently, Russia has intensified the situation with its new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missiles and North Korea's KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles.

As a result, there is a possibility that Ukraine will request support for the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air guided missile, known as the Korean Patriot, from our government.

The Cheongung-II is a weapon specialized in intercepting enemy aircraft and missiles at altitudes below 40km.

It can carry up to 8 guided missiles on a single launcher and can fire them continuously, with excellent performance that allows for 360-degree response in all directions. It was successfully exported to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, following the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

Experts analyze that if the Cheongung-II is provided, it will not only aid Ukraine's defense but also allow us to obtain real combat data, benefiting both sides.

[Yang Wook/Research Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies: "There will be advantages in verifying whether we can intercept not only Russia's latest missiles but also the latest KN-23 missiles exported by North Korea to Russia, and in enhancing performance."]

However, there are also considerations to take into account.

Concerns arise about the side effects that could occur if the Cheongung-II fails to intercept in real combat, as this could expose our main air defense system in the current security situation.

In particular, even if a sale were to go through, some analyses suggesting that there is little room for additional support due to a backlog in deliveries.

With Donald Trump, hinting at an end to the war, set to take office as the U.S. president in January, the relationship with the new administration must also be considered.

[Lee Sang-min/Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses: "(With just over two months until Trump's inauguration), I believe there may not be enough time for our government to make decisions and actually deploy the weapon systems."]

For this reason, older surface-to-air missiles like the HAWK, or portable surface-to-air guided weapons like the Shingung for low-speed and low-altitude defense, and the anti-tank guided weapon Hyungung are being mentioned as alternatives.

This is KBS News, Kim Yong-jun.