Regarding Russia’s opposition to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s remarks on the 20th that left open the possibility of arms support to Ukraine, the presidential office said, “It also depends on Russia’s actions.”
An official from the presidential office met with reporters at the presidential office in Yongsan this morning and said, “What the president said yesterday is a common sense and principled answer.”
This official said, “It is an expression of whether South Korea can just watch in such a family if there is a civilian killing or humanitarian problem that the international community would regard as serious in terms of humanitarian standards.”
Earlier, in an interview with Reuters published on the 19th, President Yoon said, “If there is a large-scale attack on civilians, a massacre that cannot be tolerated by the international community, or an issue that seriously violates the law of war, humanitarian assistance or It can be difficult to stick with financial support and stick to it.”
In response, Russia’s Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on the afternoon of the same day, saying, “Starting to supply arms means partly intervening in (Ukraine’s) war.”
An official from the Office of the President said, “As long as there are no mass civilian casualties to be shared by the international community, our current position will be maintained. We are providing humanitarian and financial support much more this year than last year. “If necessary, we can discuss it for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
“Currently, there is no legal provision in domestic law that prohibits arms support to belligerent countries. “There is no internal directive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any provision that prohibits providing military aid to a third country in difficulty,” he said.
He added, “Not taking such actions voluntarily now is a process of balancing and fulfilling the homework of stably managing various Korea-Russia relations while actively participating in the ranks of the international community to protect the freedom of the Ukrainian people.”
An official from the presidential office said, “When Korea almost disappeared in the face of the Korean War, the free world rushed in and protected Korea’s freedom, and provided an opportunity for Korea to prosper.” “Now, 70 years later, Korea is It stood tall at the center of the world, and created a picture of Korea that no one expected or predicted.”
He added, “We are currently supporting this much, but I think we can look at the current situation in Ukraine from a more global perspective, reflecting on the gratitude that Korea has taken the center stage with the help of the international community.”
Regarding the part that China and Russia are protesting, “South Korea-China relations are based on the principle of mutual respect and reciprocity, even if the political systems are somewhat different, if we abide by the already promised norms and strictly comply with the rules of the international community, we will actively expand necessary cooperation and dialogue. is to do it Russia cannot be an exception to this.”
When asked if the issue of aid to Ukraine could be discussed at the Korea-US summit, the official said, “We are currently not ready to discuss whether Korea or the US will provide additional aid to Ukraine. “We have already been providing support according to our plan for the past year on our own, and we have consulted with the United States on the necessary parts each time.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.