South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has promised that South Korea will play a bigger role on the international stage under his leadership. And Seoul has a chance to do just that by answering calls from Ukraine and the U.S. for weapons to repel Russia’s invasion.

After the outbreak of war, the previous Moon Jae-in administration hesitated to endorse sanctions, giving the impression Seoul was more interested in protecting its Russian trade ties and holding onto the faint hope that its neighbor would support its dovish inter-Korean initiatives.

As a candidate, Yoon sought to contrast himself with Moon’s hedging in