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| President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office |
By Nam Hyun-woo
Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska asked President Yoon Suk Yeol to expand South Korea's aid to the war-torn country during a meeting in Seoul, Tuesday, according to the presidential office.
Presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said Zelenska, who visited Seoul as a special envoy of her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed her hopes that South Korea will provide Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment, such as mine detection and removal equipment, as well as medical evacuation vehicles.
In response, while conveying "the support and solidarity of the [South] Korean government and people for Ukraine" as well as expressing his condolences to the families of the victims of the war, Yoon said South Korea will work closely with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to ensure proactive support for Ukrainians.
The spokesperson added that Zelenska also requested the participation of South Korean businesses in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction efforts.
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| President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a meeting with Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of presidential office |
Zelenska's visit came as South Korea plays a balancing act between growing calls to supply arms to Ukraine and Russia's threat to support North Korea with weapons if Seoul arms Kyiv.
Currently, South Korea provides only humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine, following the principle of not including lethal weapons in aid offered to foreign countries.
However, Yoon signaled a major shift from this principle during a media interview last month, stating that it may be difficult for Seoul to stick solely to humanitarian or financial aid if there is "a situation the international community cannot condone, such as a large-scale attack on civilians, massacres, or serious violations of the laws of war."
An official at the presidential office said Zelenska did not ask for lethal military aid during the meeting.
"Rather, the first lady expressed her understanding of the difficulties South Korea may face in providing arms," the official added.
However, Zelenska wrote on her Telegram channel later in the day that she and Ukraine's First Vice Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko "discussed with the President (Yoon) the need for air defense means to stop the missile terrorism of the aggressor country." She did not reveal what kind of air defense means they have discussed.
Her visit is widely viewed as a prelude to a series of calls for arms support that Yoon will likely face in a string of diplomatic events he will attend in the coming weeks.
Yoon is scheduled to have a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Seoul, today. He will then fly to Hiroshima, Japan, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit and meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after returning home on May 21, followed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel on May 22.
According to Lee, Zelenska met separately with South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Kim spoke highly of Zelenska for her courageous and dedicated efforts to promote children's education, care for war orphans and offer rehabilitation and psychological therapy for veterans.
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