▲ Remains of Russian missiles and artillery pieces are laid on a square in Kyiv on June 13, 2022, in this file photo. (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-ammunition deal

Seoul declines to comment on reported S. Korea-U.S. deal on ammunition lending

SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense ministry neither confirmed nor denied a media report Wednesday that Seoul and Washington recently signed a deal for the former to lend artillery rounds to the latter striving to procure ammunition to support Ukraine.

The local daily, the Dong-A Ilbo, reported that the Seoul government and a local defense firm inked the contract with the Joe Biden administration, under which 500,000 rounds of 155-mm artillery ammunition will be "lent" -- rather than being sold -- to the United States.

Seoul has been agonizing over how to respond to Washington's requests for ammunition supplies, while maintaining its policy against providing direct lethal aid to Ukraine in its war with Russian invaders.

"The South Korean and U.S. governments are in consultation over ways to provide support for the protection of Ukraine's freedom, but we cannot confirm any details," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Last November, the Wall Street Journal reported on a deal between the two allies, which it said called for the South to sell 100,000 artillery rounds to the U.S.

Seoul maintains that its policy against the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged, and its exports of weapons to America would proceed only under the condition that their "end user" will be the U.S. military, according to officials here.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]