Ukraine war: South Korea under pressure to deliver weapons to Kiev

Ukraine war: Sergeant Kim Jae-kyung takes his position, unwavering, outside the Colombian embassy in Seoul, dressed in complete military attire. Just the day before, he stood in front of the Dutch embassy, and the day prior to that, it was the Greek embassy.

This solitary demonstration by the former special forces soldier is his way of expressing gratitude to the 22 countries that sent troops or medics to aid South Korea when it was invaded by North Korea in 1950. Now, he believes it is time for his country to support Ukraine following its invasion by Russia in February 2022.

“Our country is fortunate to be among the top ten most prosperous nations globally, all because of the sacrifice and dedication of foreign soldiers who shed their blood and sweat for us,” says the 33-year-old veteran.

Driven by this conviction, he ventured to the battlefield in Ukraine and served on the front line for four months alongside the Ukrainian army as an anti-drone gunner and combat medic in the 3rd Battalion of the International Legion.

Kim is one of the few Koreans known to have defied his government’s orders by traveling to Ukraine to fight. Upon entering the northeastern city of Kharkiv, shortly after its liberation from Russian control, he witnessed what he describes as “horrific, evil war crimes.”

It is for this reason that Kim believes South Korea should do more to assist Ukraine’s war effort. As Ukraine continues its counter-offensive, it is depleting ammunition supplies faster than its allies can produce them.

Meanwhile, South Korea, with its own unresolved conflict with North Korea, is cautiously preserving one of the world’s largest stockpiles of ammunition. The country is also capable of manufacturing tanks and other weapons at a rate that European nations can only dream of.

Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, there has been mounting pressure on Seoul from the US, UK, and EU member states to send arms to Kyiv. They have invited South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

Dmytro Ponomarenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Korea, stated ahead of the summit that South Korea’s weapons could potentially “alter the course of the war.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky recently made a similar plea in the Korean press, drawing a parallel to South Korea’s history: “Please remember that 70 years ago, Korea was in desperate need of help. The whole world reached out to Korea in defense of justice and freedom. Ukraine today is like Korea 70 years ago,” he emphasized.

However, despite South Korea signing on to all international sanctions against Russia and providing over $200 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the government has drawn the line at supplying lethal weapons.

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