South Korean President Yoon meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv, pledges $150m aid for Ukraine

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News July 16, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived in Kyiv on a surprise visit to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Yoon pledged to increase humanitarian aid for Ukraine from $100 million to $150m in 2023.

The South Korean president traveled to Kyiv with his wife Kim Keon-hee, following his trip to Europe, where he attended the NATO Summit in Lithuania and visited Poland. Yoon visited Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion began in 2022.

Zelenskyy thanked the South Korean president and his wife for their support and said, “Meetings and the mutual understanding achieved created the emotional connection that helps us understand each other very quickly now during the negotiations. And I am especially glad that you are in Ukraine with the First Lady of the Republic of Korea.”

“We must again give all Ukrainian children the opportunity to live in safety, without war, torture, and violence. I am grateful to you, Mr. President, and the First Lady, to all your people for supporting our efforts for the sake of peace and security of our people, for the return of Ukrainian children stolen by Russia,” the Ukrainian president added.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said during a press conference that South Korea “firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and provides significant political, security, economic, and humanitarian support.” According to the Presidential Office of Ukraine statement, Zelenskyy thanked Yoon Suk Yeol for new initiatives regarding financial, technical, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

*^{Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a joint conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 15, 2023. (Image Credit: The Presidential Office of Ukraine)}*

After meeting with the Ukrainian president, Yoon said that “Ukraine now reminds me of South Korea of the past,” and appraised the international support to his country which helped it to become victorious and rise to become one of the major economies.

According to the South Korean president’s senior adviser for press affairs, Kim Eun-hye, while in Ukraine Yoon visited Bucha and Irpin, two small cities where Russian soldiers massacred civilians before retreating from those territories. “The president first toured the Bucha city massacre site near the capital Kyiv and the city of Irpin, where missile attacks were concentrated on civilian residential areas,” he said.

The South Korean president “expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of all those killed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine” and said “I hope these negotiations will become a new page in our relations. Today, we launched an initiative to help Ukraine in the military, humanitarian spheres, and post-war reconstruction.”

The very important visit, very important cooperation, very important joint protection of security. 🇺🇦🇰🇷

I am grateful to President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol @President_KR and First Lady Kim Keon Hee for negotiations, interaction, and joint work between Ukraine and… pic.twitter.com/YhcDTQN11M
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 15, 2023

According to a statement released by the Presidential Office of Ukraine, “The Korean leader said that it is now important to ensure the security and victory of Ukraine in this war, and the level of defense assistance from his country will increase this year.” Yoon further added that “The Republic of Korea will become a loyal partner of Ukraine in supporting freedom, peace, and development. And in the future, we will become very reliable partners in supporting peace and freedom in the world.”

On July 13, during his meeting with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, Yoon said, “We view Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a challenge to the international community’s freedom, human rights, and the rule of law,” and highlighted that South Korea can help rebuild Ukraine