Ukraine seeks S. Korea's defensive aid amid cautious gov't stance

[Anchor]

As the situation becomes more urgent, Ukraine is continuously requesting support from allied countries.

They are also hoping for defensive weapon support from us.

Our government appears to be somewhat cautious since Trump's election.

Reporter Shin Ji-hye has the details.

[Report]

On Oct. 18, the government officially announced the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia.

Following this, they warned that depending on the level of North Korea-Russia cooperation, they could consider supporting Ukraine with offensive weapons.

[President Yoon Suk Yeol/Oct. 24: "We had a principle of not directly supplying lethal weapons, but we can review this more flexibly depending on the activities of the North Korean military."]

However, since the election of Trump, who had declared an end to the war, some shifts in the government's stance have been detected.

A senior official from the presidential office stated, "If Russia and North Korea do not stop their cooperation, there will be a need to supplement Ukraine's defensive capabilities," which is a somewhat principled stance.

Regarding whether South Korea will support defensive weapons, they only responded that they would first listen to Ukraine's side.

This is interpreted as a position considering the situation where Trump’s team is criticizing the Biden administration for lifting military support restrictions on Ukraine and warning against escalation.

[Michael Waltz/Trump administration National Security Advisor nominee/Interview with Fox News on Nov. 19: "It's another step up the escalation ladder. The administration responds by lifting this restriction, North Korea sends more soldiers, South Korea is now saying it may get engaged..."]

Ukraine, which is on the front lines, continues to state that it is only requesting defensive weapons from South Korea.

[Dmytro Ponomarenko/Ukrainian Ambassador to South Korea/Nov. 19: "Anti-missile radars, it could be anti-missile rockets which are purely defensive which helps us to save our people."]

A delegation led by Ukraine's Defense Minister, acting as a special envoy of President Zelensky, is scheduled to visit South Korea after President Yoon returns from his tour of South America.

This is KBS News, Shin Ji-hye.