US plans to purchase 100,000 shells from South Korea for use in Ukraine

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米、韓国から砲弾１０万発の購入を計画　ウクライナ供与用に

2022.11.12 Sat posted at 18:00 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 米国がウクライナに供与する砲弾１０万発を韓国の兵器メーカーから購入する計画であることが分かった。米当局者が明らかにした。ウクライナでの高烈度戦闘に使用可能な兵器を確保する幅広い取り組みの一環となる。

米国は１５５ミリ榴（りゅう）弾砲弾１０万発を購入し、これが米国を通じてウクライナに引き渡される形となる。

この取り決めにより、韓国は殺傷力のある兵器をウクライナに供与しないという公約を維持できる。韓国国防省は１１日午前の声明で、ウクライナへの武器供与に関する立場は変わっておらず、砲弾のエンドユーザー（最終使用者）は米国だと信じていると述べた。

韓国国防省の声明では、「米国の１５５ミリ弾の在庫不足を補うため、米国と韓国の企業の間で砲弾の輸出に向けた交渉が続いている」と説明。米国防総省は声明で、韓国から購入した砲弾を米国が「売却する可能性」について協議中だと明らかにした。

ただ、韓国と米国の声明は、数カ月前から続く交渉が最終決定に至っていない点を明確にしている。特に北朝鮮による最近のミサイル発射や兵器実験を考慮すると、これほど大量の砲弾の購入は、韓国にとって非常に敏感な問題となる。

韓国は米国が設立した「ウクライナ防衛コンタクトグループ」の参加国だが、ウクライナへの殺傷力ある兵器の供与を公には拒んでおり、医薬品や防弾チョッキなどの非殺傷支援や人道支援にとどめている。

今回の件については米紙ウォールストリート・ジャーナル（ＷＳＪ）が最初に報道した。米国はこのところ、北朝鮮がウクライナ戦争で使う砲弾をロシアに秘密裏に供給していると警告している。

Translation

(CNN) It was understood that the United States had planned to buy 100,000 rounds of artillery for Ukraine from a South Korean weapons maker, a U.S. officials made clear that. It was part of a broader effort to secure weapons that could be used for high-intensity fighting in Ukraine.

The United States would purchase 100,000 155mm high-explosive shells, which could be in the form of handing over them to Ukraine through the United States.

The deal would allow South Korea to maintain its pledge not to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. South Korea's defense ministry said in a statement Monday morning that it had not changed its position on not supplying weapons to Ukraine and believed the United States would be the end user of artillery ammunition.

The south Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that "Negotiations continue between US and South Korean companies to export artillery ammunition to fill US stock shortages of 155mm ammunition", the Pentagon in a statement said it was discussing a "potential sale" of ammunition purchased from South Korea by the United States.

However, statements from South Korea and the United States made it clear that negotiations that had been going on for months and had yet to be finalized. Buying such a large amount of ammunition would be a very sensitive issue for South Korea, especially given North Korea's recent missile launches and weapons tests.

South Korea, as a member of the U.S.-established “Ukraine Defense Contact Group”, had publicly refused to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, confining it to non-lethal aid such as medicines and bulletproof vests, as well as humanitarian aid.

About this case, it was first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The United States had recently warned that North Korea was secretly supplying Russia with ammunition for use in the Ukraine war.

So, South Korea previously has publicly refused to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. I am interested in knowing how the US will overcome this political inconvenience as I believe that the American will eventually get the artillery ammunition.