▲ Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The South Korean government stated that the shipment of petroleum products loaded at South Korean ports to Russia does not in itself constitute a violation of domestic law, responding to a report by the British daily The Guardian that large volumes of petroleum products were transported to Russia.
In a joint explanatory statement released today (October 8), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korea Customs Service explained, "Commercial refined petroleum products mentioned in The Guardian report, such as diesel and jet fuel, do not fall under our export control items against Russia."
Earlier on Tuesday (October 6), The Guardian reported, based on an analysis of port records and vessel-tracking data, that seven tankers loaded or transshipped over 176,000 tons of petroleum products at South Korean ports and nearby waters in July to August this year, transporting them to Russia's Far East across 14 voyages.
It reported that three of the vessels were subject to sanctions by the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), and that some vessels sailed for Russia after declaring destinations such as Japan or Singapore.
However, The Guardian also noted that the transactions do not appear to violate South Korean law.
Following the report, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, sanctions advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, criticized South Korea's sanctions policy toward Russia, claiming that petroleum product imports from South Korea helped offset the impact of Russia's lost refining capacity.
In response, the presidential office refuted yesterday (October 7) that claiming South Korea acted contrary to sanctions policy against Russia while key facts—such as the trading entities, countries of origin, and end buyers—remain unconfirmed is "factually incorrect and inappropriate."
The government also stated in today's explanatory statement that it has not been confirmed whether South Korean fuel, such as diesel, was actually exported to Russia.
According to statistics from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), there are no records of diesel, jet fuel, or motor gasoline being exported from South Korea to Russia through customs clearance procedures from 2025 through August this year.
Regarding suspicions of false vessel destination declarations, authorities also stated that it is difficult to conclude that there was an intent of false reporting solely based on the discrepancy between the declared final destination and the country the vessel actually traveled to.
The government plans to determine whether domestic laws were violated by further reviewing the vessels' actual navigation routes and the reasons behind discrepancies with declared destinations.
It also emphasized that, in accordance with the Foreign Trade Act, exports of strategic goods to Russia are completely prohibited, and 1,402 non-strategic items that could be diverted for military use are also designated under catch-all controls and strictly regulated.
As a result, South Korea's exports to Russia declined from $10 billion in 2021 to $4 billion last year, the government explained, noting that it continues to take part in the international community's efforts to maintain peace despite the economic burden on citizens and corporations.
The government stated that it is reviewing additional information regarding the shipment cases reported by The Guardian, and that if violations of domestic law are confirmed, it will take action in accordance with the law while strengthening inspections to prevent circumvention exports.
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