Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Yoon vows comprehensive support for Ukraine at summit with Zelenskyy
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose before their summit at Mariinskyi Palace, in Kyiv, during Yoon's official visit to the country, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Korea's presidential office
By Nam Hyun-woo
Zelenskyy asks Korea to participate in post-war restoration
By Nam Hyun-woo
WARSAW ― President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Saturday (local time), and held a summit with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, promising expanded assistance to the war-torn country through the “Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative,” which entails Seoul's comprehensive support.
The official visit by Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee, which was kept under wraps and announced after they arrived in Ukraine, was intended to send a strong diplomatic message that Korea is joining international support for Ukraine's battle against Russia's invasion.
The two presidents met for nearly two hours at Zelenskyy's presidential residence in Kyiv.
President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy before their summit in Kyiv, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Korea's presidential office
During a joint press announcement after the summit, Yoon promised Korea's expanded support for Ukraine in the areas of security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction projects, while Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the visit and assistance.
“Korea will become a partner in fostering freedom, peace, and prosperity in Ukraine,” Yoon said. “Furthermore, the country will be a trustworthy partner working together with Ukraine to contribute to global freedom, peace, and prosperity,” he added.
Yoon noted that he and Zelenskyy agreed to pursue the Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative.
As part of the initiative, Korea and Ukraine will jointly pursue the Peace Formula Summit, which Zelenskyy proposed to hold in July, and Seoul will encourage more developing nations to participate in the event and join the solidarity for freedom.
Yoon also said that Korea will continue providing more military support that Ukraine needs.
“Following last year's support, including body armor and helmets, Korea will provide more military support this year,” Yoon said, without specifying what kind of military assistance Seoul will offer.
Yoon also said they agreed on Seoul providing safety equipment, such as mine detectors and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians as soon as possible, reiterating Korea's previous promise to provide $150 million worth of aid to Ukraine this year, up from $100 million last year. Yoon added that Seoul will cooperate with the World Bank for new fiscal aid to improve the Ukrainian government's financial stability.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Kyiv, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of presidential office
Yoon and Zelenskyy agreed to expand assistance for Ukraine's future generation by setting up the “Yoon-Zelenskyy Scholarships” to provide financial support for Ukrainian students in Korea.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the “continuous political, security and humanitarian support to protect Ukraine's sovereignty” and asked Seoul to participate in the construction of a center for Ukrainian restoration.
“I am grateful to you, Mr. President, and the First Lady, as well as your entire nation, for supporting our efforts for peace and the safety of our people, for the return of Ukrainian children who have been taken by Russia, and for your new initiatives of financial, technical, and humanitarian support to Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram channel.
The remark was in line with Korea's strong interest in participating in Kyiv's post-war reconstruction projects, which are anticipated to entail huge capital injections.
During Yoon's summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Thursday, Korea and Poland, which is viewed as a logistics hub for Ukraine, signed a memorandum of understanding on the two sides' partnerships in supporting Ukraine's reconstruction project.
Given that Seoul inked a separate MOU with Kyiv on reconstruction in May, the three countries have formed a trilateral scheme to assist Korean firms participating in lucrative infrastructure and other restoration projects. Yoon held a meeting with corporate leaders in Poland to assist their bids for Ukraine's post-war restoration projects.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold an expanded summit in Kyiv, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Korea's presidential office
“We could have discussed matters related to Ukraine at multilateral diplomatic events, but the president decided to visit Ukraine in order to observe the country's situation and identify what kinds of cooperation would work,” a senior presidential official said.
“Also, the trip reflected Yoon's value- and responsibility-oriented diplomatic principle to global issues.”
The surprise summit came just after Yoon attended the 2023 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Lithuania and made an official visit to Poland earlier this week, and was kept secret until the last minute due to security reasons.
The visit was made upon Ukraine's invitation. The presidential office had been reviewing the invitation while preparing for the NATO Summit. And Yoon decided to make the surprise visit after the government “found the necessity for detailed discussions in wartime cooperation and partnerships in Ukraine's reconstruction.”
“We interpreted that (Ukraine's) the courteous invitation is based on its expectations of Korea's roles in the Ukraine war, which is the most urgent international task,” the senior official said.
There were two serving Korean presidents ― Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak ― who visited countries at war where Korea's armed forces were deployed. However, this is the first time that a Korean president visited a country in a state of war where Korea's military forces were not deployed, the presidential office said.
Among Asian countries, Yoon became the third serving head of state to visit Ukraine after the Russian invasion, following Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks with Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska as he looks around a devastated building in Irpin, Ukraine, during his official visit to the country, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of presidential office
The visit is also seen as a gesture to showcase to the world that Korea is part of the international community's support for Ukraine and condemnation against Russia, which Yoon has been reiterating throughout his diplomatic outings in recent months.
Seoul is limiting its support to Ukraine to non-lethal military equipment and humanitarian aid, following Zelenskyy's request for non-lethal military aid during his summit with Yoon in Hiroshima, Japan, and first lady Olena Zelenska's visit to Seoul in May.
However, the country has been facing international calls to expand its support, and in April Yoon dropped hints at a shift in Seoul's current stance, in case there is “a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war.”
Given that Yoon visited the cities of Bucha, where a massacre was committed by Russian armed forces, and Irpin, which was the target of a missile attack, speculation mounted over whether Yoon will change Seoul's stance on weapons support. But the senior presidential official said “Ukraine invited the presidential couple knowing that Seoul does not provide lethal weapons.”
“Ukraine mostly made requests for mine detectors, humanitarian aid, education support,” the official said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee pay tribute to the tomb of massacre victims in Bucha, Ukraine, during their official visit to the country, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of presidential office