South Korea’s international sanctions against Russia and North Korea for the war in Ukraine

Havrylov Vladyslav for The Geopost

The war in Ukraine has had a profound effect on the global order and the international security environment. In the first phase of Russian aggression against Ukraine, namely in 2014, South Korea (officially known as the Republic of Korea) did not react by actively imposing international sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and seizure of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, but expressed some criticism of Russian policy. At the same time, the Russian Federation and South Korea maintained close international economic ties. It is worth noting that South Korea considered the Russian Federation a strategic economic partner and imported petroleum products, coal, and natural gas from Russia, while selling cars, spare parts for machinery, and household goods on the Russian market. After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, South Koreaʼs trade turnover (exports + imports) with Russia decreased significantly and amounted to $21.14 billion, which is 22.6% less than in the previous year ($27.34 billion), and in January-February 2023, Russiaʼs trade rating dropped two steps compared to the previous period.

The development of active hostilities on the territory of Ukraine has led to significant changes in the understanding of the security situation in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, and South Korea has joined international economic sanctions against Russian officials. The first step was to quantitatively reduce financial transactions with large Russian banks, stop investing in government bonds, and restrict SWIFT payments in March 2022.

On March 1, 2022, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of South Korea announced further measures to implement financial sanctions against Russia. Seven Russian banks and their subsidiaries were sanctioned: Sberbank, VEB, PSB, VTB, Otkritie, Sovcom and Novikom. Commenting on these decisions, South Korean officials emphasized that they would “continue to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia by major countries such as the US and the EU, and quickly make decisions and impose additional sanctions in accordance with the requirements of the international community.”

As Russian troops continue their war of aggression against Ukraine and cynically use imported ammunition from their allies, including North Korean artillery shells, the South Korean government has taken significant steps, namely, to restrict goods that may be technically necessary for the Russian military-industrial complex to continue the active phase of the war. Thus, in February 2023, the South Korean government banned the export of an additional 741 items to Russia, including equipment, vehicles, and chemicals that could possibly be used for military purposes. The export ban also included quantum computers, which can be used for military encryption due to their powerful specifications and better performance than conventional computers.

It is worth noting that the Russian Federation continues to actively use North Korean military equipment and ammunition, as stated by the White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who announced the figure of more than 1,000 containers that North Korea has transferred to Russia.

In addition to economic restrictions, South Korea is also taking personal sanctions against Russian executives of companies that train North Korean IT specialists who have been found to be involved in the development of programmes to improve North Koreaʼs nuclear weapons. Thus, Intellect and Sodeistvie companies, as well as their heads, Sergey Kozlov and Alexander Panfilov, were sanctioned. At the same time, South Korea imposed sanctions against the Russian vessels Angara and Lady R, involved in the transportation of containers with military cargo between Russia and the Democratic Peopleʼs Republic of Korea (North Korea).

Sanctioned Russian Supply Ship Lady R Spotted in North Korea.

(Photo of the ship). Source: The Maritime Executive.

Active cooperation and development of strategic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Democratic Peopleʼs Republic of Korea (North Korea) has become a new challenge for security policy in the Korean region.

These actions were strongly condemned in a joint statement of June 23, 2024, by senior officials of the United States, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan on cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, published on the website of the US State Department. It reads as follows:

“The United States, Korea, and Japan condemn in the strongest terms the deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including the ongoing arms transfers from the DPRK to Russia, which prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violate numerous UN Security Council resolutions, and threaten stability in both Northeast Asia and Europe. The development of the partnership between the DPRK and Russia, as evidenced by the signing of the “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement” during Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang on June 19, should be of serious concern to all those interested in preserving peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, upholding the global non-proliferation regime and supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence from Russia’s brutal aggression…”

Putin and Kim Jong Un signing a joint agreement.

Photo source: BBC.COM

It is worth noting that this partnership between Russia and the DPRK in the military spectrum has alarmed the political leadership of South Korea. For example, South Korean National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin-pan emphasized that South Korea would not be bound to help Ukraine if Russia provided North Korea with precision weapons.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with Kim Jong-un

during a visit to the DPRK on July 27, 2023. Photo source: Radio Liberty.

Since 2023, a new factor has emerged in the context of the war against Ukraine: North Korea has entered the conflict on the side of Russia, providing not only weapons but also military personnel. According to South Korean intelligence sources, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has already deployed thousands of its military personnel to engage in combat operations alongside Russian forces. In particular, Ukrainian intelligence sources indicate that approximately 11,000 North Korean infantry personnel are undergoing training in Russia and may be deployable for combat operations in the near future. Also, Ukraine has information that negotiations are underway between Russia and the DPRK to send engineer troops and civilians from North Korea to work at Russian military plants, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with South Korean TV channel KBS on October 31.

North Korea is actively cooperating with Russia, supplying personnel, especially in the Kursk direction. The DPRK is also testing its weapons and gaining combat experience, which strengthens its position in the international arena. Should hostilities intensify further, this could have serious consequences for the security of Ukraine and the international community as a whole.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, controls an artillery drill in North Korea on March 7, 2024. AP/Korean News Agency. Photo source: Suspilne.media.

To summarize, South Koreaʼs active implementation of international sanctions against the Russian Federation and North Korea is a necessary and significant factor in strengthening the security factor in the Asian region, Europe, and the world as a whole. These actions make it possible to systematically and effectively bring to justice Russian war criminals of the first rank, as well as representatives from their allied countries who assist them in committing these crimes. It is also important to combine these efforts in cooperation with American and European colleagues, as this demonstrates the strength of democratic forces and the authority of international law in this area. In addition, in order to more effectively counter the aggressive expansion of Russia and North Korea, in addition to systemic international sanctions, South Korea needs to strengthen its strategic nuclear deterrence policy in cooperation with the United States by strengthening its defense system. The war in Ukraine has reminded states around the world, including South Korea, of the importance of a policy of external balancing, as well as the need to strengthen independent national defense. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the Ukrainian armed forces have been building up their weapons capabilities and training even more intensively, both at the strategic level in communication with international partners and in the practical dimension, when the training process takes place directly on the front line. Similarly, South Korea needs to prepare for crises on the Korean Peninsula by further strengthening joint Korean-American military exercises, as well as work on a diplomatic strategy towards North Korea, paying close attention to U.S.-China and U.S.-Japan relations. A systematically thought-out policy, partnership with the United States, European countries, and Ukraine in implementing international sanctions and building defense capabilities is an important and necessary key to resolving military conflicts and fighting aggressor states globally in the long term.

Havrylov Vladyslav,

research fellow with the Collaborative

on Global Childrenʼs Issues

at Georgetown University (USA)

junior researcher

Department of Asian and African History

Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Analytical researcher at Media Initiative for Human Rights

Invited researcher at Charity foundation “East-SOS”