South Korea's government said it will pursue legal action if an investigation confirms that fuel shipments from its ports to Russia violated domestic law. The statement came in response to a Guardian report documenting thousands of tonnes of fuel transported to Russia.
South Korea's foreign and trade ministries and customs service issued a joint statement saying they are "checking additional information concerning the loading cases reported by the Guardian." The agencies pledged to "act in accordance with the law" if verification shows that "our laws and regulations have been violated."
The Guardian's reporting had revealed the scale of fuel exports from South Korean ports to Russia, raising questions about whether the shipments complied with Seoul's own legal framework governing such trade. South Korea maintains sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but the country has faced scrutiny over energy product exports that could reach Russian markets.
The government's response indicates an active investigation into specific loading cases and suggests potential enforcement action, though no violations have yet been confirmed. The statement did not specify a timeline for the investigation or detail which laws regulators are examining.