President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, July 15, 2023. Courtesy of presidential office

President Yoon Suk Yeol held closed-door talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Seoul, Wednesday, and discussed support measures for the country amid its war with Russia, according to the presidential office.

Yoon and the delegation, led by Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, also shared intelligence on North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia, the office said.

The visit comes roughly a month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Kyiv's plans to send a delegation to South Korea during his phone talks with Yoon. Zelenskyy has emphasized the urgent need for artillery and air defense missiles to counter the ongoing threats from Russia.

"Yoon welcomed the Ukrainian delegation and expressed hope that South Korea and Ukraine will come up with effective countermeasures to deal with the growing security risks posed by the cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia," the presidential office said in a statement.

"Both sides agreed to continue to share information on North Korea's troop deployment and possible transfers of weapons and military technology between Russia and North Korea. As the U.S. Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's team are responding in unison to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we will communicate closely with the U.S."

The presidential office did not say if the two sides discussed South Korea's potential arms provision to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian delegation held a separate meeting with National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun following the meeting with Yoon.

South Korea, which possesses one of the world's largest stockpiles of artillery shells, has provided humanitarian aid and indirect military support, including exporting weapons to Poland and lending 500,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells to the U.S. However, it has refrained from directly supplying arms to Kyiv, citing its longstanding policy of not providing weapons to countries actively involved in conflict.

However, after it was confirmed that North Korean troops joined Russian forces to fight against Ukraine, South Korea has repeatedly said it could consider providing weapons, ranging from defensive to offensive ones depending on the extent of military ties between Russia and North Korea. The North is believed to have sent more than 10,000 troops to Russia, some of whom recently began engaging in combat operations in Russia's Kursk region.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, left, arrives at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Wednesday, to hold talks with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Yonhap

Yoon said on Nov. 7 that he would not rule out the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine.

"Now, depending on the level of North Korean involvement, we will gradually adjust our support strategy in phases," he said.

However, the South Korean government is facing a dilemma over whether to provide lethal weapons directly to Ukraine, especially as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may pursue a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine after taking office in January. Opposition from the National Assembly is another significant factor contributing to Seoul's hesitancy.

"We will listen to Ukraine's request, but we also have basic principles. We will respond step by step, but we will do so in coordination with our allies and partners such as the U.S. and NATO. We will draw up the government's policy while adhering to these principles," Shin said in an interview with Yonhap TV on Sunday.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' meeting of the Group of Seven advanced countries in Fiuggi, Italy, and said the government will take practical steps corresponding to the security threats and the progress of the military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. During the meeting, Sybiha highlighted the need for action in response to the North's troop dispatch.

Meanwhile, Russia warned South Korea about providing arms to Ukraine. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko called on Seoul to "refrain from reckless steps."

"Seoul must realize that the possible use of South Korean weapons to kill Russian citizens will fully destroy relations between our countries," Rudenko said on Sunday.