Seoul, Dec 26 (IANS): South Korea will tighten export controls against Russia and Belarus by significantly expanding its list of items subject to export restrictions, including excavators, batteries and larger vehicles, in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, officials said on Tuesday.

Under the revision to the regulations on trading strategic items, South Korea added 682 more items regarding heavy construction equipment, rechargeable batteries, aircraft components, machinery and other things to the list of items that are banned from shipping to Russia and Belarus, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The new regulation will raise the total number of items on the list to 1,159 from the current 798 items, Yonhap news agency reported.

The revision is expected to take effect in early 2024 following due administrative procedures and the government's issuance of guidelines for exporters.

The Ministry said it will make a case-by-case review of "exceptional cases" for shipments to the two nations.

The move came as chances are high for those items to be used for military purposes, though they are not classified as strategic items under South Korea's export control scheme.