July 6, 2024: Japan and South Korea separately imposed economic sanctions on companies, ships and individuals involved with supplying Russia with North Korean weapons for use in Ukraine. So far North Korea has sent several thousand standard cargo containers of munitions. Russia has few allies in its war with Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are the only nations that will sell weapons to Russia and they expect to be paid.

South Korea and Japan are also cooperating with American efforts to freeze the assets of eleven groups and one individual who assisted in transporting these weapons to Russia. Nine of these groups and the individual were Russian. These shipments of North Korean weapons purchased by Russia were considered essential by the Russians to continue hitting Ukrainian targets with missiles, unguided rockets and 152mm artillery shells. Russia cannot produce enough munitions to supply their troops in Ukraine, where the Ukrainians are receiving munitions and weapons from NATO countries including the United States.