In a speech at Harvard University as part of a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the US-South Korea alliance, Mr. Yoon said he opposed Russia's war in Ukraine.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Photo: Reuters
Asked about the possibility of South Korea providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, Mr. Yoon said: "We are closely monitoring the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take appropriate measures to maintain international standards and international law."
“We are looking at different options right now,” he added.
Mr Yoon met with US President Joe Biden at the White House and the US pledged to provide South Korea with more in-depth intelligence on its nuclear plans in case of any potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula. The two sides also discussed the situation in Ukraine.
Mr. Yoon said in an interview last week that Seoul could expand support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if the country comes under large-scale civilian attacks.
The South Korean president said the Washington Declaration between his country and the United States requires Seoul to continue to respect the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and not possess nuclear weapons of its own.
He said there are opinions in South Korean society that the country should possess nuclear weapons and has the full capability to develop this technology, but it is also a complicated process politically and economically.
“We would have to give up many of the values we have held dear if we decided to develop our own nuclear weapons,” he said.
Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)
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