{"id":2199984,"date":"2023-02-01T09:16:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-01T09:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199984"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:09:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:09:50","slug":"why-local-politics-will-prevent-yoon-suk-yeol-from-sending-weapons-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/02\/why-local-politics-will-prevent-yoon-suk-yeol-from-sending-weapons-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Why local politics will prevent Yoon Suk-yeol from sending weapons to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg\u2019s <\/span>two-day visit<\/span><\/a> to South Korea on Sunday marked an important moment for the ROK\u2019s partnership with NATO. Seoul established a dedicated diplomatic mission to NATO last November and Stoltenberg\u2019s visit was aimed at deepening that partnership.<\/span><\/p>\n President Yoon Suk-yeol has repeatedly declared that his administration will pursue\u00a0 <\/span>values-based diplomacy<\/span><\/a> and\u00a0the <\/span>Indo-Pacific Strategy<\/span><\/a> that Seoul published in December clearly reflected the Yoon administration\u2019s push to turn South Korea into a \u201cglobal pivotal state.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And Stoltenberg put that pledge to the test during his visit when he urged South Korea to provide military support to Ukraine, saying the country urgently needed ammunition.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon once again faces the difficult decision of whether to provide aid. But while he has repeatedly styled himself as a supporter of Ukraine, domestic and geopolitical realities still stand in the way of his following through.<\/span><\/p>\n THE FOREIGN TRADE ACT<\/b><\/p>\n Stoltenberg did not forcefully insist that South Korea supply weapons to Ukraine. \u201cI would say that\u2019s, at the end of the day, a decision for you to make,\u201d he <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The NATO chief also acknowledged that a South Korean presidential decree that enforces the country\u2019s <\/span>Foreign Trade Act<\/span><\/a> says its exports can only be used for \u201cpeaceful purposes\u201d and \u201cshall not affect international peace, safety maintenance and national security.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n But Stoltenberg argued that several NATO states and partners \u2014 Germany, Norway and Sweden \u2014 also had policies never to export weapons to countries in a conflict but had changed their policies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n South Korea has sent <\/span>non-lethal aid<\/span><\/a> such as gas masks, bulletproof vests and medical supplies to Ukraine but has declined to provide lethal weapons, citing the Foreign Trade Act for its refusal to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n Seoul does not consistently adhere to the Foreign Trade Act\u2019s stipulations though. For instance, it has not stopped South Korea from <\/span>exporting arms<\/span><\/a> to Saudi Arabia, which has been involved in <\/span>Yemen\u2019s civil war<\/span><\/a> since 2015.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine is a much more high-profile conflict and thus more politicized. As a result, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will insist on strict adherence to the law.<\/span><\/p>\n If Yoon decides to ship lethal weapons to Ukraine, he will need the National Assembly\u2019s cooperation to amend the Foreign Trade Act. But the DP retains majority control over the National Assembly \u2014 and due to the contentious relationship between Yoon and the DP over <\/span>corruption investigations<\/span><\/a> into the DP\u2019s chairman \u2014 it\u2019s unlikely to go along with what Yoon wants.<\/span><\/p>\n Any attempt to ship lethal weapons directly to Ukraine without amending the Foreign Trade Act would likely initiate impeachment proceedings against Yoon.<\/span><\/p>\n