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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Trump backs call for pressure on South Korea to sell Cheongung-II missiles to Ukraine

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Donald Trump shared a Washington Post column arguing that South Korea should be pressured to sell Cheongung-II interceptor missiles to Ukraine.
  • The column cited Ukraine’s urgent need for air-defense missiles and argued that South Korea could help address shortages while easing pressure on the United States.
  • Trump offered no detailed assessment, but the post was interpreted as signaling expectations that South Korea should play a role in the war.

Donald Trump has signaled support for pressuring South Korea to provide Ukraine with Cheongung-II interceptor missiles. The U.S. president shared a Washington Post column on Truth Social that asked how Ukraine could be helped to develop its own Patriot missiles.

The column argued that Russian attacks on Ukraine could intensify as winter approaches, while the United States faces limits on the interceptor missiles it can supply because it is also fighting a war with Iran. It proposed joint production of a new, lower-cost Patriot missile without the most advanced technology, reducing concerns about technology leaks.

Trump should pressure South Korea to sell the so-called Korean Patriot, the Cheongung-II interceptor missiles, from its large domestic stockpile.

· Washington Post columnistThe column urged Trump to press South Korea to address Ukraine’s urgent shortage of interceptor missiles.

But even if Ukraine were allowed to begin production immediately, the column said, it would still need more interceptors now. It therefore urged Trump to pressure South Korea to sell Cheongung-II, sometimes described as a Korean version of the Patriot, from its large domestic stockpile.

South Korea claims that it is legally prohibited from selling weapons to a country at war, but it is currently selling these very interceptors to the United Arab Emirates, which is at war. It is absurd.

· Washington Post columnistThe column criticized South Korea’s stated legal position on arms sales to Ukraine.

The column criticized South Korea’s claim that it is legally barred from selling weapons to countries at war, noting that Seoul is selling the same interceptor system to the United Arab Emirates, which is also described as being at war. It said supplying Ukraine could also help repair Seoul’s relationship with Trump and reduce the burden on Washington.

The column further argued that many missiles striking Ukraine are produced in North Korea and that North Korean missile units are fighting alongside Russia. It said South Korea could use the conflict to test its interceptors against North Korean missiles and demonstrate that it is a reliable ally. Trump shared the column but did not provide a detailed evaluation. Former Vice President Mike Pence had also argued last month that indirect South Korean support for Ukraine could offer a solution.

South Korea should not miss the opportunity to test the performance of its interceptors against North Korean missiles.

· Washington Post columnistThe column argued that the war could provide South Korea with a chance to evaluate its air-defense system.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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