[Journalism Internship] Korea sticks to its guns: No weapons to Ukraine

Journalism Internship

Published: 26 Oct. 2023, 06:40 Updated: 30 Oct. 2023, 12:09

[Journalism Internship] Korea sticks to its guns: No weapons to Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers take part in a training exercise some 10 kilometers (6 miles) away from the border with Russia and Belarus in the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv on Feb. 2. [AP]

JUNSEO KIM, YUNSEON KIM, EUNBYEOL KIM, YOONSEO LIM

After about one and a half years since the beginning of the Ukraine War, Korea is still abiding by its policy of "we do not provide lethal weapons to Ukraine" and announced its military support of two combat vehicles earlier this month.

Korea's K600 CEV, named Rhinoceros, is a non-lethal weapon designed to eliminate anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Because the vehicle is not combative, its delivery to Ukraine conforms to the policy of providing only non-fatal weapons, following Korea’s delivery of portable mine detectors and protective clothing to Ukraine last July.

At the 49th Group of 7 summit held from May 19 to 21, President Yoon Suk-yeol promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to provide non-lethal supplies, including mine removal equipment and support for post-war recovery. President Yoon, during his visit to Ukraine last July, further announced his intention to expand support for mine detectors and clearers that Ukraine desperately needs.

This came in response to the Ukraine government’s call for help from Korean enterprises to participate in the Ukraine reconstruction project on May 16. The Ukraine reconstruction project is a large-scale project in which the Ukraine government plans to invest over $900 billion over a yet-undefined 10-year time period.

Along with the Korean government, Korean enterprises are also actively working to support the rebuilding and development of Ukraine, especially seeking to support and collaborate in various fields of industries, such as infrastructure and energy industries.

Hyundai E&C, a Korean enterprise, signed a contract to expand the Kyiv International Airport on July 16. The Kyiv airport, taking up most of the freight transport volume of Ukraine, is one of the major components of the Ukraine economy. By supporting and normalizing the airport, they aim to accelerate the reconstruction and further development of Ukraine. Also, by establishing a partnership with Holtec International, a nuclear power company, Hyundai E&C plans to dive into the small modular reactor (SMR) project, reconstructing the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.

Additionally, the Korea Water Resources Corporation is trying to contribute to the management of water sources and the rebuilding of Ukraine. They also signed contracts to help Ukraine handle its water sources on Sep. 23. The Korea Water Resources Corporation plans to help Ukraine reconstruct the Kakhovka dam, which is a crucial source of their economy and agriculture.

Several countries have been offering help to Ukraine. On Sep.18, United States President Joe Biden announced $350 million in additional military support to Ukraine for the advanced protection of Ukraine citizens, according to the Washington Post, as well as Canada, which announced 650 million Canadian dollars’ worth of additional military support on Sep. 22. This is supplementary support after its provision worth 500 Canadian dollars when Prime Minister Trudeau visited Ukraine in May. Prime Minister Trudeau stated that its aim is to supply 50 armored vehicles to Ukraine. The aid will be provided over three years, according to a report from Vancouver CityNews.
Germany also announced the provision of additional weapons and aid to Ukraine, including 400 million euros’ worth of ammunition, mortar shells, protective vehicles, mine removal equipment, clothing, and heaters, according to a report from Voakorea. However, according to what Bloomberg reported, Germany excluded missiles from this supporting package, which was what Ukraine requested in the meantime, announced on Sep. 18.

One country, however, has pulled the plug on its support. Poland announced the suspension of its weapon support by claiming the right to protect itself from damages occurring from supporting Ukraine. It aims to focus on making its own army the strongest in Europe. Poland was one of the countries that actively supported Ukraine. It provided Ukraine with supplies and funds equivalent to 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product after the war, according to a report from the Financial Times on Sep. 20.

Russia has also sent a warning to Korea regarding its support for Ukraine. TASS news agency reports the interview of Georgy Zinoviev, Director of the First Regional Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) event on Sep. 11. According to their information, Russia considers that "a hasty decision to supply weapons and military equipment directly or indirectly to Ukraine could lead to a breakdown in relations between the two countries." Meanwhile, "there has been no change to date in the government's policy of not supporting lethal weapons to Ukraine," as said by the Korean Ministry of National Defense spokesman Jeon Ha-gyu at a regular briefing on Sep. 18.
The Russia-Ukraine war began on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine from seven directions by the order of President Putin of Russia. The war started with the aim of President Putin to resist the further eastward expansion of NATO. As a result, more than 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died, according to the New York Times, and there are now about 6,197,200 refugees from Ukraine, according to the UN.

In the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, tensions have escalated as Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, continues to assert his narrative.

Putin recently claimed that Western powers strategically placed Zelensky, a Jewish leader, in the Ukrainian presidency to hide their promotion of Nazism. This assertion has drawn criticism from Ukraine, with Zelensky vehemently denying the accusations and emphasizing his family's Holocaust history. Meanwhile, Russia has been conducting military operations in Ukraine, even as the country seeks to protect Russian-speaking populations and combat alleged neo-Nazi forces. The situation remains highly contentious, with Russia insisting it is not fighting against Ukrainians but rather targeting extremist elements associated with groups like the "Banderites," a reference to Stepan Bandera's far-right Ukrainian nationalist followers.
Amid this backdrop, the United States and its allies have imposed sanctions to curb Russia's military efforts as recently as this month.

These sanctions aimed to slow Russia's missile production, which had initially suffered setbacks due to export controls. However, reports indicate that Russia has managed to adapt and circumvent these export controls, ramping up its missile and ammunition production. As a result, Russia now produces more missiles, artillery shells, and ammunition than both the United States and Europe, posing a significant challenge to Ukraine.

BY JUNSEO KIM, YUNSEON KIM, EUNBYEOL KIM, YOONSEO LIM [jseokim25@kis.ac, yskim25@kis.ac, ebyeolkim25@kis.ac, yslim25@kis.ac]