Ukraine has criticized South Korea’s policy toward Russia following a Guardian report Tuesday that Russia, grappling with worsening fuel shortages as the war in Ukraine drags on, has sharply increased its imports of petroleum products from Korea. Seoul in turn pushed back, insisting that no rules have been broken and Kyiv's response is “inappropriate.”
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian presidential commissioner for sanctions policy, cited a report by the British outlet on Facebook on Tuesday that South Korea had supplied diesel and other petroleum products to Russia, saying the shipments “stand in stark contrast to South Korea’s sanctions policy [toward Russia].”
“The supplies began precisely when Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries reduced refining volumes and fuel shortages emerged in Russia,” Vlasiuk said. “Imports from South Korea effectively helped offset the impact of Russia’s loss of domestic refining capacity.”
Vlasiuk also assessed the pros and cons of South Korea’s policy in a post on X.
“[South] Korea joined the export-control coalition early; aligned its Russia controls with the US/EU/Japan; expanded the Russia/Belarus catchall list to 1,402 items; specifically prioritised Common High Priority Items; and has sanctioned Russian vessels/entities involved in DPRK military cooperation,” he stated for the pros. DPRK is the initialism for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
For the cons, he pointed out that “[South] Korea never joined the Price Cap Coalition; continues substantial purchases of Russian coal and LNG; sought an exemption from UK Russian-LNG sanctions; considered restarting Russian crude/naphtha imports; and, most seriously, in July–August 2026 more than 176,000 tonnes of [South] Korean-origin fuel reportedly went to Russia, precisely when Russia was facing fuel shortages following Ukrainian refinery strikes.”
Vlasiuk’s comments came amid an ongoing diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month that two North Korean soldiers captured during the war in Ukraine had been repatriated to South Korea. The South Korean government subsequently expressed regret, saying Ukraine had violated an agreement to keep the repatriation confidential.
President Lee Jae Myung, right, shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of their summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8.YONHAP
The Guardian's report, based on an analysis of port records and vessel-tracking data, said that Russia had recently purchased large quantities of petroleum products, including diesel, from South Korea.
Seven tankers carried more than 176,000 metric tons of fuel, mostly diesel, to Russia in 14 shipments from South Korean ports including Ulsan and Yeosu in Jeonnam-Gwangju in July and August, according to the Guardian.
Russia imported 368,000 metric tons of oil products by sea in August alone, of which 112,000 metric tons came from South Korea. South Korean shipments accounted for 31 percent of the total, making South Korea Russia's second-largest source of oil products after India.
Three of the tankers that carried petroleum products from South Korea to Russia were found to be under sanctions imposed by Britain and the European Union.
“While the fuel trade involves vessels sanctioned by some of Seoul’s western partners, it does not appear to breach South Korean law,” the Guardian said.
“The shipments, however, risk making Seoul look like a weak link in western efforts to pressure Russia, as relations with Kyiv come under strain over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul says was meant to remain secret.”
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry told the Guardian that the government has expanded its export controls under the Foreign Trade Act “beyond strategic items to 1,402 nonstrategic items with a high potential for diversion to military use” and was “strictly enforcing” them.
Seoul also refuted the Ukrainian presidential commissioner's argument on Wednesday and called it “inappropriate.”
“Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the South Korean government has consistently implemented sanctions and export controls against Russia in close coordination with the international community,” said the Blue House in a statement. “Our government’s fundamental position remains unchanged.”
“Nevertheless, it is inaccurate and inappropriate for an official from the Ukrainian presidential office to publicly claim, citing a Guardian report and based on individual transactions for which key facts — including the parties involved, the origin of the products and the ultimate buyers — have not been verified, that South Korea helped ease Russia’s fuel shortages and offset the loss of its refining capacity, and thereby acted in a manner inconsistent with its existing sanctions policy toward Russia.”
“The government is currently working with relevant agencies to closely verify the facts and review matters related to export controls, and will take necessary measures if any issues are identified,” the presidential office added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
