South Korea supports sending howitzers to Ukraine
2023.03.08 04:02
South Korea supports sending howitzers to Ukraine
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – A defense acquisition official in Seoul told Reuters on Wednesday that Poland received export licenses from South Korea last year to supply Ukraine with Krab howitzers made with South Korean components.
The remarks are the first indication that South Korea officially consented to Ukraine’s war against Russia by at least indirectly supplying weapons components.
Seoul officials have previously declined to comment on the Krabs, which has fueled speculation regarding whether South Korea had officially agreed or was just looking the other way.
According to Kim Hyoung-cheol, director of the Europe-Asia division of the International Cooperation Bureau, the transfer of the howitzer’s South Korean-made chassis was reviewed and approved by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration’s (DAPA) technology control bureau.
In an interview at the DAPA headquarters outside of Seoul, he told Reuters, “We reviewed all the documentation and possible issues inside DAPA… then we made decision to give out export license to Poland.”
Later on, he emphasized that the government’s position is against transferring weapons systems to Ukraine.
The Krab is made up of parts from multiple nations, and the transfer did not involve a complete South Korean weapon system, according to the defense ministry of South Korea.
The Krab is a self-propelled howitzer produced by Poland’s Huta Stalowa Wola using a South Korean K9 Thunder chassis and British BAE Systems (OTC: 155-mm French Nexter Systems gun, a Polish fire control system, and the BAESF) turret.
Poland sent 18 Krabs to Ukraine in May after Russia invaded in February, and the two countries have signed orders for dozens more.
Russia refers to the conflict as a “special military operation,” and President Vladimir Putin accused Seoul of providing weapons to Ukraine last year, claiming that doing so would harm relations between the two countries.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea at the time, stated that South Korea, a ally of the United States, had not provided any weapons. He claims that his administration will not alter that policy.
Yoon has stated that direct sales of weapons to countries engaged in active conflict are difficult under South Korean law. Despite increasing pressure from the United States and NATO nations to provide weapons and ammunition, Seoul has also been reluctant to enrage Russia.
A Western diplomatic source in Seoul told Reuters, “We obviously think South Korea should be doing more, and we have been communicating that to the Yoon administration regularly.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited Seoul in January and urged South Korea to increase its military support for Ukraine. He cited other nations that changed their policy of not giving weapons to countries in conflict after Russia invaded.
According to Yang Uk, a research fellow and defense expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, the head of DAPA has the authority to choose what to export, but in practice, the president also has the final say.
He stated, “A government must take into account all positions, including the position of the foreign ministry, diplomacy, and economic considerations.” Russia may retaliate by selling North Korea modern aircraft or transferring technology that North Korea really needs if Korea supports Ukraine.”
South Korea has benefited from Europe’s haste to rebuild, securing a massive $5.8 billion arms deal with Poland last year for 100 Chunmoo rocket launchers, K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and FA-50 fighter aircraft.
Kim stated that Poland would require additional permission from South Korea before supplying Ukraine with any of those new weapons. Officials from DAPA have previously emphasized that those sales are not intended to assist Ukraine but rather to enhance Poland’s defenses.
South Korea’s responsiveness over the issue has been featured by an arrangement to sell 155mm mounted guns shells to the US. While South Korea insists that the United States must be the final user, Washington officials have stated that they want to ship the ammunition to Ukraine.
According to a spokesperson for the ministry of defense in South Korea, negotiations for that agreement are ongoing.
