Defense minister Kim Yong-hyun said Wednesday that South Korea is not considering sending troops to support Ukraine. 

The minister made the remarks during a meeting with reporters in Washington, while visiting the United States to attend the annual Security Consultative Meeting.

When asked how the South Korean government is responding to the dispatching of North Korean troops to Russia, the minister said its response will be “phased to the extent possible.”

He explained that the government will act in solidarity with the international community, taking into account how the situation in Ukraine develops. 

Stressing that the government is not at all considering dispatching troops, the minister said it is definitely necessary to dispatch a monitoring team or an analysis team so the South Korean military and its government can prepare for emergencies that may arise in the future.