South Korea Vows Legal Action Over Alleged Fuel Exports to Russia

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that it will pursue legal action if allegations of illegal fuel shipments to Russia are substantiated. The statement followed claims made by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on sanctions policy, who alleged that 176,000 tonnes of fuel had been shipped from South Korea to Russia via sanctioned tankers during July and August.

The Foreign Ministry clarified that it had not confirmed whether South Korean diesel or other products had been exported to Russia. Officials noted that commercial exports of items such as diesel and jet fuel are not currently included in South Korea’s export control list targeting Russia.

In response to Vlasiuk’s accusations, the South Korean presidential office dismissed the claims on Wednesday. Kang Yu-jung, a spokesperson for the president, stated that the government has consistently implemented sanctions and export controls against Russia in close cooperation with the international community since the invasion began.

“We ask that Ukraine also refrain from distorting the relevant policies of the Republic of Korea without sufficient verification of the facts and making public remarks that can damage international trust,” Kang said, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The dispute adds to worsening relations between Seoul and Kyiv, which have been strained for weeks over a separate issue. South Korea has accused Zelenskyy of unilaterally disclosing to the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul has demanded an official apology, arguing that the disclosure breached a non-disclosure agreement, while Kyiv maintains no such agreement exists.

Tensions are further complicated by the deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The two nations signed a mutual defence treaty in 2024, and estimates suggest that between 14,000 and 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine.