International Courant
The shock journey got here after Yoon this week attended a NATO summit in Lithuania and visited Poland, the place he expressed solidarity with Ukraine towards its struggle with Russia.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made a shock go to to Ukraine.
Yoon’s workplace stated Saturday he had traveled to Ukraine together with his spouse, Kim Keon-hee, after touring to Lithuania for a NATO summit and to Poland. It’s his first go to since Russia invaded Ukraine practically 17 months in the past.
Yoon toured Bucha and Irpin, two small cities close to Kiev the place civilian our bodies had been discovered within the streets and mass graves after Russian troops withdrew from the capital area final yr. He laid flowers at a monument to the nation’s struggle victims.
The South Korean chief was scheduled to carry talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later within the day, Yoon’s senior adviser on press affairs, Kim Eun-hye, stated in a press release.
“The president first visited the location of the bloodbath within the Bucha metropolis close to the capital Kyiv and town of Irpin, the place rocket assaults targeted on residential areas of civilians,” Yoon’s workplace stated.
“President Yoon will go to a memorial to the struggle useless to put a wreath and maintain a summit assembly with President Zelenskyy,” it added in a press release.
South Korea, an ally of the US and rising arms exporter, is beneath renewed stress to produce arms to Ukraine, which Yoon’s authorities has opposed in favor of humanitarian and monetary assist, cautious of Russia’s affect on North Korea.
Yoon stated this week his authorities was getting ready to ship demining tools and ambulances, on the request of Ukraine, and to hitch the NATO belief fund for Ukraine.
Whereas Yoon’s go to was not totally sudden, it’s “crucial” provided that few different Asian leaders have visited Ukraine, stated Ramon Pacheco Pardo, the Korea Chair on the Brussels College of Governance.
Whether or not Yoon’s go to marks a coverage shift to supply extra assist to Ukraine stays to be seen, however the journey suggests a stamp of approval from Kiev for the help Seoul has despatched to date, he stated.
“If he goes, it is as a result of Zelenskyy allowed him to go, as a result of he feels Korea is doing sufficient to justify it,” Pacheco Pardo stated, including it additionally prompt South Korea could also be doing extra behind the scenes to assist Ukraine to assist.
‘Problem to Freedom’
Zelenskyy requested Yoon for extra navy assist once they first met in Might. South Korea’s protection ministry has stated it’s discussing ammunition exports to the US.
In Might, nevertheless, South Korea rejected a report within the US media that its artillery shells had been headed to Ukraine by way of the US, saying its place on not offering deadly assist to Kiev was unchanged.
“We see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a problem to the liberty, human rights and rule of regulation of the worldwide group,” Yoon stated throughout his assembly with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday, including that South Korea could possibly be a superb accomplice. within the reconstruction of Ukraine.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated on Friday it plans to assist reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure, akin to transportation, power and trade.
South Korean corporations and firms in Ukraine and different international locations signed agreements on Friday to cooperate within the reconstruction of Ukraine, the ministry stated in a press release.
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