Seoul approves Poland's export of howitzers with S.Korean parts to Ukraine

South Korea's government approved export licenses for Poland last year to provide Ukraine with Krab howitzers, which are built with South Korean components, a defence acquisition official in Seoul told Reuters on March 8, Report informs.

The comments are the first confirmation that South Korea officially acquiesced to at least indirectly providing weapons components to Ukraine for its war against Russia.

Seoul officials have previously declined to comment on the Krabs, fuelling speculation over whether South Korea had formally agreed or was simply looking the other way.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration's (DAPA) technology control bureau reviewed and approved the transfer of the howitzer's South Korean-made chassis, said Kim Hyoung-cheol, director of the Europe-Asia division of the International Cooperation Bureau.

"We reviewed all the documentation and possible issues inside DAPA... then we made decision to give out export license to Poland," he told Reuters in an interview at DAPA headquarters on the outskirts of Seoul.