The Ministry of Industry of South Korea added 243 items to the list of goods banned for export to Russia and Belarus. This decision was made due to the possible use of these goods for military purposes, as reported by DW.
The updated list includes metal cutting equipment, optical instrument parts, sensors, and other items. As a result, the list from the South Korean Ministry of Industry now includes 1,402 items.
The day before, South Korea imposed restrictions on Russian companies and ships that, according to Seoul, may be transporting petroleum products and weapons between North Korea and Russia. However, the Russian and North Korean sides have not officially confirmed the supply of ammunition from North Korea to Russia, despite accusations from the West.
On June 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang on an official visit. The next day, he held talks with Kim Jong-un, which resulted in the signing of a comprehensive partnership agreement.
After this, South Korean authorities announced that they would reconsider their position on supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine. Putin warned Seoul against such a move, emphasizing that arms supplies would be a mistake. He added that if South Korea makes this decision, Moscow will take retaliatory measures that may not be to the liking of the current leadership of the republic.
It is worth noting that South Korea imposed sanctions against four Russian ships and eight North Korean ships for their involvement in illegal arms and fuel trade, as well as other actions violating UN Security Council resolutions, according to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.