<Anchor>
There are reports in the US media that the
United States is receiving hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from South Korea and sending them to Ukraine. As a result of our interview, it was confirmed that our government exported 10,12 rounds to the United States last year and has decided to send another 155,10 rounds this year.

This is an exclusive report by Kim Tae-hoon, a reporter specializing in national defense.

<Reporter>
There are about 11,155 rounds of 2mm shells that the
government admits to have exported to the United States.

This is the contract volume in November last year.

Since then, the U.S. has requested additional 155mm artillery shells, and a government source told SBS, "We signed a contract with the U.S. government in February to supply about 12,25 155mm shells."

In this regard, the Wall Street Journal reported today (9th) that hundreds of thousands of shells from South Korea are being transported to Ukraine via the United States.

The president's office denied direct support for Ukraine with lethal weapons, but left open the possibility of other forms of consultation with the U.S., including indirect assistance.

[Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office (National Assembly Steering Committee, yesterday): We are currently discussing other matters between the ROK and the United States. We do not provide direct assistance to Ukraine.]

Poongsan, an artillery shell manufacturer, has not disclosed its contract with the United States so far, and it is highly likely that a significant amount of the 2mm shells being sent to the United States are from our military stockpiles.

A government source also said, "Our government will receive money from the United States equivalent to the amount of artillery shells to build new shells to fill the stockpile."

Pungsan announced that it will export about 155,40 120mm shells and 5,<> <>mm shells to Poland in connection with the export of domestically produced K<> self-propelled howitzers and K<> tanks, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they will be diverted to Ukraine depending on the war situation in Ukraine, such as large-scale attacks on civilians or massacres.

(Video Interview: Hwang In-seok, Video Editing: Cho Moo-hwan, CG: Moon Jung-eun)