John Burton

The Ukraine conflict has served as a catalyst in dragging both Koreas into the confrontation between NATO and Russia, as well as raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The most obvious example is North Korea's supply of munitions to Russia, which paved the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang in June and the signing of a mutual defense treaty.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk Yeol participated in a NATO summit in Washington in July that underscored Seoul's commitment to aiding Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression amid speculation that it may directly ship weaponry, including artillery shells and air defense systems, to Kyiv.

Putin has warned that Seoul would be making "a very big mistake" if it decided to supply arms to Ukraine.

These developments pose the potential for a dramatic escalation of security risks to South Korea and instability based on what is happening on the battleground in Ukraine.

Ukraine's recent incursion into Russian territory in the Kursk region, for example, could trigger a more aggressive response by Moscow, whose reverberations could be felt half a world away on the Korean Peninsula.

This reveals that Seoul has a direct stake in the conduct and outcome of the Ukraine conflict, the first time South Korea could........

© The Korea Times