After the Presidential Office, Government Also Rebuts Ukraine... "Shipments of Refined Petroleum Products from South Korea to Russia Are Legal"

Foreign Ministry, Trade Ministry and Korea Customs Service Strongly Push Back in Joint Press Materials

In response to Ukraine's criticism of South Korea, citing foreign media reports that "South Korea supplied petroleum products to Russia," the government said on Oct. 8, "For commercial purposes, refined petroleum products such as aviation fuel are not subject to our export controls on Russia," adding that "shipping refined petroleum products from our ports does not violate domestic law."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Customs Service issued a joint press reference document that day, saying, "The items subject to our export controls on Russia consist mainly of strategically important goods, including industrial machinery, electronic products and vehicles." The government issued the additional explanation after the presidential office said the previous day that Ukraine's claims were "inaccurate and inappropriate."

According to the government, the items subject to export controls on Russia are determined through a comprehensive review of their potential military uses, economic impact and international coordination. South Korea strictly controls exports to Russia, including imposing comprehensive controls on strategic goods under the Foreign Trade Act and designating 1,402 items that could potentially be used for military purposes as "items subject to case-by-case licensing." Exports fell sharply from $10 billion in 2021, when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, to $4 billion in 2025. The government said, "We will continue to strictly implement export controls on Russia as a responsible member of the international community and strengthen our efforts to prevent circumvention of export controls."

Some observers, however, have noted that the latest dispute over the foreign media reports is a fallout from the alleged breach of a "confidential agreement" that emerged after negotiations between the two countries over the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war. A government source said, "We are concerned that this incident could escalate into tensions or a diplomatic dispute between the two countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.