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기사입력 : 2023.05.22 10:13
The EU will urge South Korea to provide direct arms aid to Ukraine at the Korea-EU summit slated for May 22, EurActiv reported on May 15, citing a senior EU official.
According to the report, the EUis expected to ask for a forward-looking stance from South Korea, which has long refused to provide arms and other military equipment to Ukraine.
Ramon Pardo, who is in charge of South Korea at the Security, Diplomacy and Strategy Center at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB), said, "It is expected to take months to produce ammunition in the EU due to a lack of explosives, but SouthKorea has the ability to supply it in a short time and is highly compatible with NATO equipment used by Ukrainian forces."
He pointed out that it is impossible for SouthKorea to supply ammunition to countries that are engaged in war due to legal restrictions. But, through an alternative process, exporting ammunition to EU member states and donating it to Ukraine, is possible.
In particular, he pointed out that even if South Korea decides to provide direct weapons to Ukraine, the benefit of South Korea's direct weapons support to Ukraine is also insignificant in that it is supported through neighboring countries such as Poland.
Although the U.S. and South Korea are currently discussing related issues, the EU evaluatedthat the EU's request to South Korea is only a political posture, given that there is no direct military alliance with South Korea.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited South Korea in January and asked for arms aid to Ukraine, mentioning that the final choice is up to South Korea's decision.
Pardopredicted that no one would pose legal issues with the Korean government or companies providing weapons to Ukraine. However, he also prospected that if South Korea reverses its previous stance, the government will put in an awkward position where its justification for rejecting other war-torn countries' demands for arms aid will disappear.
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