[1/8]Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shake hands after a joint statement amid the Russian attack on Ukraine July 15, 2023 in Kiev, Ukraine. Portal/Valentyn Ogirenko
- South Korea wants to deliver more supplies like body armor and helmets to Kiev
- Yoon pledges $150 million in humanitarian aid this year
- US ally Seoul is a growing player in global arms sales
SEOUL/KIEV, July 15 (Portal) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Saturday his country will provide Ukraine with a larger amount of military supplies and humanitarian aid during a visit to Kiev to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The surprise trip came after Yoon attended a NATO alliance summit in Lithuania and visited Poland this week, where he expressed solidarity with Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
South Korea is a US ally and the ninth largest arms exporter in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank. But it is also concerned about Russia’s hold on North Korea and has resisted Western pressure to directly arm Ukraine.
In a news conference, Yoon said South Korea plans to ship “a larger volume of military supplies” to Ukraine this year, after providing non-lethal supplies such as body armor and helmets last year. He did not give any further details.
Yoon said South Korea also plans to send $150 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine this year, up from about $100 million in 2022.
It would also work with Kyiv on projects like infrastructure construction, which could be backed by concessional loans from South Korea, he said.
“We discuss everything that is important for people’s normal and safe lives,” Zelenskiy said, thanking Yoon for the “powerful” support.
ZELENSKIY’S APPROVAL
Yoon’s office said he also visited Bucha and Irpin, small towns near the capital where Russian soldiers are accused of war crimes against civilians. Moscow denies that.
Yoon said this week his government is preparing to deploy demining equipment and ambulances at Ukraine’s request and will join the NATO relief fund to Ukraine.
Yoon’s visit is significant as few other Asian leaders have visited Ukraine, said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Korea chair of the research organization Brussels School of Governance.
It remains to be seen how big the political shift towards more support for Ukraine will be, he added, but the trip shows Kiev’s approval of the aid that has been sent so far.
“If he’s leaving, it’s because Zelenskiy allowed him to leave because he thinks Korea is doing enough to justify it,” Pacheco Pardo said, adding that it also suggests South Korea might offers more support behind the scenes.
At their first meeting in May, Zelenskiy urged Yoon to increase military support. Yoon said Saturday South Korea has been supplying security equipment and humanitarian aid that Ukraine needs, including mine detectors, since May.
South Korea’s defense ministry said it was discussing exporting munitions to the US, but said parts of a media report that Seoul had agreed to send artillery shells to the US for delivery to Ukraine were incorrect.
In 2022, South Korea’s arms sales soared to over $17 billion from $7.25 billion the year before, including a $13.7 billion arms deal with Poland — Seoul’s biggest ever — the rocket launcher and delivered fighter planes.
South Korean companies and entities in Ukraine and other countries signed agreements on Friday to help with reconstruction, Seoul’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.
reporting by Joyce Lee and Olena Harmash; Additional reporting by Josh Smith and Hyonhee Shin; Adaptation by William Mallard and Andrew Cawthorne
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