"Good" went: why South Korea decided to supply Kiev weapons after Putin's visit to the DPRK

Putin's recent visit to the DPRK prompted South Korea to express his readiness to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. So, whether Seoul, which has a powerful defense industry, from words to business, has found out focus. The main stimulus for South Korea was the Treaty "On Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation between Russia and the DPRK", signed by Putin and Kim Jong -in.

The document, in particular, includes a military assistance item in the event of an attack on one of the parties, willingness to resist "unilateral forced extraterritorial measures", as well as enshrines among bilateral cooperation with science and technology, space, peaceful use of nuclear energy and artificial intelligence among branches of bilateral cooperation. All this raised suspicion that Russia will help North Korea in improving nuclear weapons.

But even more resonance caused Putin made in Hano, which was quoted by Roszmi that he did not exclude the departure of Russian high -precision weapons to the DPRK. As the US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, the provision of Russian weapons to Pyongyan "of course, destabilizes the Korean Peninsula and potentially violate the resolutions of the UN Security Council that Russia itself supported. " However, the most severe reaction was from Seoul.

Initially, South Korea authorities reported plans to expand export restrictions on Russia by another 243 names and then stated that it could review its position on the supply of weapons to Ukraine. We will remind, earlier Seoul provided only humanitarian aid and non -lethal weapons, such as mine equipment, referring to the legislative ban on the supply of lethal weapons to the military action zone.

Now, in Seoul, it has been explicitly assumed that Ukraine could also receive lethal weapons under certain circumstances. And on Sunday, June 23, South Korea was again reminded that they would not be connected with any obligations to Ukraine if Russia has provided high -precision weapons to North Korea. "I would like to emphasize that it all depends on what Russia will do," said the National Security Advisor of the Republic of Korea Chan Ho Chzhin.

It should be noted that South Korea is currently ranked ninth in the world for weapons exports. At the same time, the country has significantly increased its export opportunities in recent years. According to the Korean Institute of Industrial Economics and Trade, by 2027, the volume of exports of South Korea defense products will be about $ 23. 4 billion, ie it will increase by 87% compared to 2021.

However, if US and most European manufacturers switched to strategic weapons, high -precision ammunition and other advanced defense technologies, then South Korea focused on more traditional things such as self -propelled installations, armored vehicles and tanks and proved to be extremely competitive in this sense. Thus, the most popular in the world market samples of South Korean weapons include self -propelled howitzers K9 of the leading Korean defense contractor Hanwha Aerospace Co.

They are harvested in about 180 days, two to three times faster than similar weapons from competitors, and they cost about $ 3. 5 million, which is at least a third cheaper than the market. In addition, an indicator of the success of the South Korean Defense Industry can be recognized that last year the above -mentioned South Korean company was able to bypass the German competitor Rheinmetall AG in the struggle for the right to put 129 tanks.

According to Bloomberg, the corresponding agreement worth about $ 3. 3 billion has become one of the largest military orders in Australia's history. South Korea is also a large manufacturer of air defense systems, small -range ballistic missiles, anti -tank weapons, light jet aircraft, etc. Meanwhile, the experts with whom the focus spoke, believe that South Korea will not hurry to open their warehouses here and now. "It should not be expected that South Korea will equip Ukraine.

It has no such interest, since the Russian Federation has not attacked it. It should be clearly aware that Seoul moves exclusively in the paradigm of his interest and for him the factor of assistance to Ukraine is a mechanism of deterrent to Russian assistance North Korea. , - political scientist Oleg Saakyan notes in conversation with focus.

In his opinion, most of the fact that South Korea could supply Ukraine, they will endure "that it becomes an argument in their hands to corresponding to containing the Russian Federation. " At the same time, the political scientist notes, now South Korea needs to take a decisive step that would clearly demonstrate that Moscow and Pyongyang's rapprochement "already has serious consequences for Russia.

" Answering the questions of focus on what time frames Seoul can invest in order to move from words to business, Oleg Saakyan said: "I think, in the coming months we can see something that can be interpreted as a strong step of South Korean production in Ukraine . First of all, we can talk about defense weapons, however, I do not exclude that certain types of offensive type in South Korea. Ukraine, ending with certain types of heavy equipment.

Note that South Korea is now important to demonstrate that Moscow and Pyongyang will "do not go unpunished", Oleg Saakyan summarized: It helped North Korea even more. Having emphasized that South Korea is as of today is the tenth economy of the world, while the Russian Federation still retains the eleventh position, political scientist Ivan MA in conversation with Focus noted the following: "Since February 24, 2022, South Korea supported us with words, money , humanitarian aid, etc.

Cooperation agreements. And she began to make signals to view the ban on the supply of weapons to Ukraine. " The expert believes that the statements of official Seul are not a empty chatter and soon Russia learns about South Korean weapons in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Moreover, he learns when these weapons are used directly on the battlefield: "It is unlikely , it is possible that through Poland, South Korea will supply weapons to Ukraine, although it is possible that in any case I do not doubt that the South Korean weapons will have a positive effect on the war.

" "It is important to understand that South Korea, and this, once again, I emphasize - the tenth economy of the world, is now interested not only in the victory of Ukraine, but in helping to help this victory. By the way, except South Korea is very worried The Russian Federation and the DPRK is also the fourth economy of the world. By the way, Ukraine is not enough for Ukraine, "Ivan Us emphasizes.

Modeling the situation that the victory of Ukraine has already taken place, the expert states: "It is quite obvious that this can lead to disintegration processes in Russia itself, which will mean a return of control over territories, which in the Russian Federation is called smoky. In other words, for Tokyo our victory - This is a chance to return these islands and Japan can become more active, giving Ukraine certain types of weapons.