Korea to help Ukraine rebuild war-torn cities

Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Won Hee-ryong, second row, second from right, meets with two Ukrainian lawmakers, Sergey Taruta and Andrii Nikolaienko, and Ukraine Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

By Lee Kyung-min

The infrastructure minister met with two Ukrainian lawmakers and Ukraine's ambassador to Korea, Wednesday, to discuss ways of rebuilding war-torn cities, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The meeting came on the heels of Korea's offer to provide assistance to Ukraine, led by a team of officials of the infrastructure and foreign ministries during the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, Switzerland, from July 4 to 5 (local time).

Korea will be able to use its experience in infrastructure and city planning as part of the rapid government-led economic growth, the two countries agreed, in facilitating the recovery of the Eastern European country.

Similar ministry-led post-war reconstruction efforts are in progress in Iraq, as evidenced by the Alpo New Port Project worth a total of $2.62 billion (3.41 trillion won), overseen by Daewoo Engineering and Construction, a local builder. The ministry plans to initiate a rapid transit project in Baghdad ($2.5 billion) and the Basra seawater treatment facility project ($3 billion).

Minister Won Hee-ryong met with lawmakers Sergey Taruta and Andrii Nikolaienko as well as Ambassador Dmytro Ponomarenko in Seoul, and agreed to bolster cooperation to help the reconstruction of key social overhead capital and housing in cities including Mariupol. The city on the north coast of the Sea of Azov saw about 12,000 houses burned down with 95 percent of key infrastructure destroyed due to Russia's invasion.

The ministry's assistance will help the leading Korean builders partake in the recovery project to the amount of $750 billion, through which bilateral cooperation will be bolstered.

Taruta said the Russian invasion devastated the country's cities, a reason why prompt efforts will be needed to build new cities after the war, according to the ministry.

Won in response expressed sympathy for the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people, adding that the Korean government will provide all available means necessary to rebuild Ukraine promptly.

“Korea was able to rebuild war-torn cities with the support of the international community in a short period of time,” Won said. “We will share our experience to best help Ukraine with the current crisis.”

The ministry will strengthen cooperation between industries and state-run entities including Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND).