Korea negotiates exporting ammunition to the United States

A U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant inspects pallets of 155 mm shells at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, on April 29, 2022. [AP]

The Ministry of National Defense said Friday that Korea was negotiating with the United States to export 155-millimeter ammunition to the U.S.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said that negotiations are ongoing between Korean and American companies to sell 155-millimeter ammunition, in order to make up for the shortage of ammunition inventories in the United States.

Following reports that the ammunition from these negotiations is meant for Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said there was no change in Korea’s position to not provide lethal aid to Ukraine.

“[The negotiations to export ammunition] are under the premise that the United States is the end user,” read the statement from the Defense Ministry.

The Wall Street Journal had said that 100,000 rounds of 155-millimeter artillery rounds would be delivered to Ukraine after being bought by the United States from Korea, citing U.S. officials with inside information.

President Yoon Suk-yeol said in October that Korea has not provided any lethal weapons to Ukraine to fight Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned that any assistance from Korea to Ukraine would bring an end to bilateral relations between Korea and Russia.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]