Comment on If South Korea decides to get involved in Ukraine, it has powerful options

South Korean soldiers on parade in Seoul.Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA/Getty ImagesSouth Korea is threatening to arm Ukraine in response to North Korea's support for Russia.Its weapons stockpiles could make a big difference for Ukraine.But South Korea remains wary of getting involved in the Ukraine war.South Korea threatened to send weapons and resources to Ukraine in response to its longtime foe, North Korea, escalating support for Russia's invasion.If it goes ahead, it could prove a powerful ally.After an emergency National Security Council meeting this week, top South Korean officials condemned North Korea for sending troops to Russia.Their mission has not been made explicit, but Ukraine has said they are there to join Russia's invasion.Officials also briefed news outlets that Seoul could send weapons to Ukraine as part of a series of phased countermeasures.South Korean news agency Yonhap on Tuesday cited security officials who said Seoul could even send military personnel to Ukraine to monitor North Korea's presence in the conflict.Russia's foreign ministry threatened South Korea with "security consequences" should it get involved, Yonhap reported.A fearsome arsenalAnalysts say Russia has a good reason to be concerned."South Korean weapons could potentially make a significant difference on both Ukraine's defensive capabilities and offensive capabilities," Jeremy Chan, a China and northeast Asia analyst at the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider.South Korea, a US ally, has built a formidable arsenal of weapons in its decadeslong stand-off with North Korea.It includes antiaircraft and anti-missile systems which could help Ukraine defend its towns and infrastructure from Russian attacks, Chan said.There are also "world-class" K9 Howitzer guns, K2 tanks, and multiple-rocket-launcher systems, Chan said.Seoul has already aided the supply of much-needed 155 mm shells to Ukraine, albeit at one remove.South Korea sent ammo to Western allies like the US and Poland, which freed them up to send their own to Ukraine.Ellen Kim, a Korea expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, told BI that South Korean support for Kyiv could include giving intelligence on North Korean weapons and tactics."South Korea could assist in a psychological warfare campaign against North Korean soldiers who may not want to fight in the war" as well, said Kim.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday "there is evidence" that North Korean troops were already training in Russia, and warned against them joining the fight.Experts on the country's military told BI that soldiers sent there would be put under harsh measures to discourage them from deserting.North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Pyongyang in June.GAVRIIL GRIGOROV via Getty ImagesSouth Korea hesitatesSignificant obstacles stand in the way of South Korea arming Ukraine, though.