The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeolpromised this Saturday to “expand the scale” of humanitarian aid and non-lethal military equipment that he delivers to Ukraine, in his first visit to Kiev to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodimir Zelensky.
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South Korea, which is the ninth largest arms exporter in the world, has a long-standing policy of not delivering weapons to areas where there are active conflicts and has upheld this principle despite repeated requests from the United States, European powers and Ukraine.
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Seoul “will expand the scale of supplies from last year when we delivered materials such as helmets and bulletproof vests,” Yoon said, adding that humanitarian aid will increase to $150 million in 2023 from $100 million in 2022. .
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Zelenski thanked the South Korean president for the gesture of visiting the country at war for the first time. “Thank you for this meaningful conversation. Thank you for your strong support,” said the Ukrainian president during an appearance before the press with Yoon.
The Ukrainian president also thanked sending demining vehicles and equipment that “helped save many lives”.
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The Ukraine of today reminds me of the South Korea of the past.
“The Ukraine of today reminds me of the South Korea of the past,” Yoon said, praising the international aid that enabled his country to “achieve a miraculous victory” against Pyongyang and become one of the world’s largest economies.
Seoul, which is technically still at war with North Korea, produces large volumes of weapons that are compatible with equipment used by Nato.
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Zelensky also conveyed his condolences to his South Korean counterpart, whose country is affected by floods and landslides that have killed 22 people.
Пан Пан Президент Республ_ki Корея був сьогодні в Бучі та Іrpenі і на vlasnі очі бачив наслідki російської окупації. Але ж Буча та ІRPінь – лише два з тисяч українських міст, які зазнали ударів російського терору. Масштаб принесених Росією страждань і руйнувань – колосальний. Otze,… pic.twitter.com/eiJlkUlt0u
— Volodimir Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) July 15, 2023
“I want to express my condolences and those of all Ukrainians regarding the terrible flood that has hit the Republic of Korea,” Zelensky told Yoon during joint statements to the press in Kiev.
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At least 22 people died and another 14 are missing due to heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides in South Korea, according to the balance released this Saturday by the government, which ordered the evacuation of thousands of people.
AFP
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