Korea says no confirmed fuel exports to Russia, vows strict enforcement of export controls

South Korea said Thursday that no commercial petroleum exports to Russia had been confirmed through customs clearance and vowed to enforce export controls. The government subjects 1,402 non-strategic items with potential military uses to case-by-case authorization, while commercial petroleum products are not currently controlled. It will examine vessels’ actual routes and declared destinations and take legal action if violations are confirmed.

South Korea’s outbound shipments to Russia fell to $4 billion in 2025 from $10 billion in 2021.

Official trade statistics showed no Korean exports of diesel, jet fuel or gasoline to Russia through customs clearance from 2025 through August 2026.

The government said loading commercial petroleum products at Korean ports does not itself violate domestic law because those products are not subject to its Russia export controls.

The Guardian reported that more than 176,000 tons of petroleum products, mostly diesel, were loaded at Korean ports and shipped to Russia’s Far East in July and August.

Published Oct 8, 2026 12:17 pm KST

Updated Oct 8, 2026 2:12 pm KST

A port in the southeastern city of Ulsan / Courtesy of Ulsan Port Authority

Korea is strictly enforcing its export controls on Russia, the foreign ministry said Thursday, stressing that no exports of commercial petroleum products to Russia have been confirmed through customs clearance procedures.

Currently, Korea prohibits exports of strategic items to Russia and subjects an additional 1,402 non-strategic items that could potentially be used for military purposes to case-by-case export authorization, according to the ministry.

"The controlled items are determined through interagency discussions after comprehensively considering their potential military use, economic impact and international coordination," the ministry said in an explanatory note jointly issued by the industry ministry and the customs agency.

Outbound shipments to Russia dropped to $4 billion in 2025 from $10 billion in 2021 as South Korea joined international efforts to maintain peace through export controls "despite the economic burden on companies and the public," the ministry noted.

The comments came after a report by the Britain-based Guardian on Tuesday that more than 176,000 tons of petroleum products, mostly diesel, were loaded at Korean ports and shipped to Russia's Far East in July and August.

Following the report, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on sanctions policy, said the shipments had helped ease Russia's fuel shortages amid the war in Ukraine, a claim rejected by the Korean presidential office the previous day.

The ministry said official trade statistics showed no exports of diesel, jet fuel or gasoline from Korea to Russia through the customs clearance process from 2025 through August 2026.

It also stressed that commercial petroleum products are not subject to Korea's export controls on Russia, meaning that loading such products at Korean ports does not in itself constitute a violation of domestic law.

The government will further examine the vessels' actual routes and declared destinations before determining whether any domestic laws were violated.

"The government will take action in accordance with the law if violations are confirmed," the ministry said. "We will continue to strictly implement export controls on Russia and strengthen efforts to inspect and prevent circumvention of exports as a responsible member of the international community."

韩国周四表示，经海关清关确认，没有向俄罗斯出口任何商业石油产品，并誓言将严格执行出口管制。韩国政府对1402种具有潜在军事用途的非战略性物品实行个案审批，而商业石油产品目前不在管制之列。韩国政府将审查船只的实际航线和申报目的地，一旦确认存在违规行为，将采取法律行动。

韩国对俄罗斯的出口额从 2021 年的 100 亿美元下降到 2025 年的 40 亿美元。

官方贸易统计数据显示，从 2025 年到 2026 年 8 月，韩国没有通过海关清关向俄罗斯出口柴油、航空煤油或汽油。

韩国政府表示，在韩国港口装载商业石油产品本身并不违反国内法律，因为这些产品不受其对俄罗斯的出口管制。

《卫报》报道称，7 月和 8 月，超过 17.6 万吨石油产品（主要是柴油）在韩国港口装载并运往俄罗斯远东地区。

发布于2026年10月8日下午12:17（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月8日下午2:12（韩国标准时间）

位于韩国东南部城市蔚山的港口 / 图片由蔚山港务局提供

韩国外交部周四表示，韩国正在严格执行对俄罗斯的出口管制，并强调尚未通过海关清关程序确认向俄罗斯出口任何商业石油产品。

据韩国国防部称，目前韩国禁止向俄罗斯出口战略物品，并对另外 1402 件可能用于军事用途的非战略物品实行逐案出口许可制度。

“管制物品是通过跨部门讨论，综合考虑其潜在军事用途、经济影响和国际协调等因素后确定的，”工业部和海关总署联合发布的解释性文件中写道。

韩国外交部指出，由于韩国加入国际社会通过出口管制维护和平的努力，“尽管这会给企业和公众带来经济负担”，韩国对俄罗斯的出口额将从 2021 年的 100 亿美元下降到 2025 年的 40 亿美元。

此前，英国《卫报》周二报道称，7 月和 8 月，超过 17.6 万吨石油产品（主要是柴油）在韩国港口装载并运往俄罗斯远东地区。

报道发布后，乌克兰总统泽连斯基的制裁政策顾问弗拉迪斯拉夫·弗拉修克表示，这些物资的运送有助于缓解俄罗斯在乌克兰战争期间的燃料短缺问题，但韩国总统府在前一天驳斥了这一说法。

该部表示，官方贸易统计数据显示，从 2025 年到 2026 年 8 月，韩国没有通过海关清关程序向俄罗斯出口柴油、航空煤油或汽油。

声明还强调，商业石油产品不受韩国对俄罗斯的出口管制，这意味着在韩国港口装载此类产品本身并不构成违反国内法。

政府将进一步审查这些船只的实际航线和申报目的地，以确定是否违反了任何国内法律。

“如果违法行为得到证实，政府将依法采取行动，”该部表示。“作为国际社会负责任的成员，我们将继续严格执行对俄罗斯的出口管制，并加大力度检查和防止规避出口管制的行为。”