South Korea's ammunition surplus: A potential boon for Ukraine
The presence of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine is being closely monitored not only by NATO but also by South Korea. Seoul supports Kyiv, but so far it has not decided to transfer any "lethal weapons." Will it now reconsider and at least provide artillery ammunition?
According to the Global Firepower rankings, South Korea has the fifth most powerful army in the world. Due to its location and extremely tense relations with its northern neighbour, unlike many NATO countries, South Korea has not considered disarmament and has consistently maintained its military equipment and ammunition. Over the years, stocks of some shells have grown substantially.
How much ammunition does South Korea have?
South Korea is one of the world's largest producers of 155 mm artillery shells (including standard, cluster munition, and smoke shells). However, the Ukrainian service Defense Express highlights South Korean 105 mm artillery ammunition.
According to estimates from organizations such as the analytical group CSIS, currently, South Korean warehouses hold about 3.4 million 105 mm shells. They began accumulating them during the Cold War. The shells were initially stocked by the United States, which decided years later to sell the supplies to South Korea. In addition to domestic production from local arms factories, the Koreans have amassed impressive quantities of this type of ammunition.
Ammunition tailored to Ukrainian needs
The argument for providing Ukraine with 105 mm artillery shells could be that they are no longer particularly crucial for South Korea. The modernization of its army has left only a few artillery systems using the 105 mm calibre in service.
For this reason, Defense Express's conclusions suggest that at least some of the 3.4 million 105 mm artillery shells are surplus in South Korea and could be allocated for direct military aid to Ukraine. This would be invaluable assistance since Ukrainian soldiers have been struggling with ammunition shortages of various types for months, and more than 100 different 105 mm howitzers have reached the front from Western allies.
