Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on the 20th (local time) that "if South Korea supplies lethal weapons to Ukraine, it would be a very big mistake."
According to TASS and other agencies, President Putin made this remark during a press conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam, concluding his visits to North Korea and Vietnam. He addressed the announcement that the South Korean government is reconsidering its existing policy of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine.
He said, "Sending lethal weapons to the combat zone in Ukraine would be a very big mistake," adding, "If that happens, we will make a corresponding decision, which will probably be a decision that the current South Korean leadership will not welcome."
Earlier, Jang Ho-jin, the National Security Office chief of the South Korean presidential office, condemned the signing of the 'Strategic Partnership Treaty' between North Korea and Russia, which is akin to a military alliance, and stated, "The issue of weapons support to Ukraine is scheduled to be reconsidered."
Until now, the South Korean government has maintained the principle of not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine. Russia regards this as a 'red line' in Korea-Russia relations.
Regarding the North Korea-Russia treaty signed in Pyongyang, President Putin said, "There is nothing new," and added, "We signed this treaty because the old treaty no longer exists."
He continued, "Everything is the same as the existing 1962 treaty. There is nothing new here." The past treaty he referred to is the 'Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between North Korea and the former Soviet Union (the North Korea-Soviet Alliance Treaty)' signed in 1961, which included a clause for automatic military intervention in case of emergency.
He said, "Military assistance under the treaty applies only in the event of invasion or military attack, so South Korea does not need to worry," and added, "As far as I know, South Korea has no plans to invade North Korea, so there is no need to fear our cooperation in this area."
President Putin also did not rule out supplying ultra-precision weapons to North Korea. He previously mentioned that Russia has the right to supply weapons to third countries in response to Western support for Ukraine.
President Putin also stated, "The crisis on the Korean Peninsula has characteristics of intensifying internally, but I hope that the treaty with North Korea will somewhat restrain this crisis from escalating into a burning phase."
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