Ukraine criticizes Korea by citing article ‘Korea’s Russian oil supply’ (comprehensive)

Ukraine, which is in conflict with the South Korean government over an undisclosed agreement to allow North Korean prisoners of war to go to South Korea, criticized South Korea, citing foreign news reports that South Korea had supplied a large number of petroleum products to Russia.

On the 6th (local time), Vladislav Vlasiuk, an aide in charge of sanctions at the Ukrainian President's Office, quoted an article on Facebook saying that Korea supplied diesel fuel to Russia and said, "This is in stark contrast to Korea's sanctions policy (against Russia)."

The British daily Guardian reported on this day that, based on analysis of port records and ship tracking data, seven oil tankers transported a total of more than 176,000 tons of petroleum products from various ports in Korea, including Ulsan and Yeosu, on 14 separate occasions from July to August to the Russian Far East, including Vladivostok. The Guardian analyzed that most of the petroleum products supplied to Russia were diesel, which had the most serious supply shortage in the Russian market due to Ukraine's offensive.

Advisor Vlasiuk argued, “(Korea’s supply of oil to Russia) began at the exact time when refining volume decreased due to Ukraine’s attack on Russian oil refineries and a fuel shortage occurred in Russia,” adding, “Imports from Korea actually helped offset the impact of Russia’s loss of its own refining capacity.”

The idea is that at a time when Ukraine is strengthening its offensive targeting oil facilities to tighten Russia's war funds, Korea's oil supply does not match this trend of putting pressure on Russia.

On another social media platform, Vlasiuk, he posted an article analyzing Korea's policy toward Russia by dividing it into 'positive' and 'negative' aspects.

Positive aspects include the expansion of comprehensive export control items for Russia and Belarus and sanctions against Russian ships and institutions involved in military cooperation with North Korea. On the other hand, on the negative side, in addition to oil supply to Russia, he wrote, "We did not participate in the Russian crude oil price cap system and continue to purchase significant amounts of Russian coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG). We also considered resuming imports of Russian crude oil and naphtha."

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Guardian, "Under the Foreign Trade Act, we have expanded the scope of export controls to include not only strategic materials but also 1,402 non-strategic materials that can be used for military purposes, and are strictly enforcing them. As a responsible member of the international community, we support and actively participate in international efforts to end the war in Ukraine and bring about peaceful reconstruction."

Ukrainian authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have so far made no comment regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners to South Korea. On the 28th of last month, the Blue House demanded an official explanation and apology, saying that Ukraine unilaterally disclosed the fact that North Korean prisoners of war had traveled to South Korea under a non-disclosure agreement and even announced the false fact that "there was no non-disclosure agreement."