Why the U.S., NATO, and Europe failed to secure South Korea's support for Ukraine

It wasn’t because South Korea doesn’t care. It’s because the U.S., NATO, and Europe made the wrong pitch.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. (Biden Administration), NATO, and European governments worked tirelessly to rally support from democratic allies around the world. They argued that Ukraine was not just fighting for itself but for the principles of freedom, sovereignty, and the rule of law.

In this effort, they turned to South Korea, a liberal democracy, a partner of NATO, and a country with its own bitter memories of invasion and division. Surely, the logic went, South Korea would understand.

But Seoul didn’t. It refused to donate lethal aid.

Despite being one of the world's largest arms producers and a country often spoken of in the same breath as other U.S.-aligned democracies, South Korea consistently resisted calls to send lethal aid to Ukraine. Seoul preferred to frame its support in strictly humanitarian terms—medical supplies, energy equipment, reconstruction aid.

And while it benefited handsomely from arms sales to NATO countries, it kept its direct military assistance to Ukraine at arm’s length.

I watched the U.S., NATO, and European appeals to convince Seoul to donate lethal arms to Ukraine. One thought came to my mind—they’ve made the wrong pitch. They don’t know Korea.