Major Attendance of Ruling and Opposition Leaders Watching Video Speech
Interpreter Mariopol Watches Video Near Speech End, Holds Back Tears While Continuing Interpretation
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video speech held at the National Assembly Library on the 11th, said, "Please help South Korea so that we can stand against Russia," adding, "If Ukraine receives such weapons, it will not only save the lives of ordinary citizens but also provide an opportunity to save Ukraine, and it will prevent not only Ukraine but also other countries from being attacked by Russia."
President Zelensky, in his video speech at the National Assembly that day, said, "Korea experienced a war once in the 1950s and lost many civilian lives, but overcame it," and appealed for help, saying, "The international community provided a lot of assistance at that time." He also requested the international community to impose stronger sanctions beyond just providing weapons support. President Zelensky said, "The international community has imposed numerous economic sanctions, but their impact has been insufficient, so they still do not intend to stop (the war)," and demanded, "From now on, Russian banks must completely cease cooperation with international banks, and companies from other countries must completely stop cooperating with Russia." He added, "If international companies withdraw from Russia, do not pay taxes to Russia, and do not support the Russian economy, Russia will try to find a compromise."
President Zelensky said, "All citizens have the right to live peacefully, and everyone has the right not to die in war," and asked, "For these reasons, I ask you to stand together against Russia."
In the latter part of his speech, President Zelensky also introduced a video showing the Russian military attacks occurring in Mariupol. The video contained scenes of children injured and killed by Russian attacks. After the video ended, he said, "Did you see that?" and added, "This is exactly what Russia is doing. I ask for your help and support."
Meanwhile, after the video and other materials were shown, the interpreter who was translating President Zelensky’s speech into Korean was seen continuing the interpretation while holding back tears after watching the Mariupol video. The video speech was watched by a large number of ruling and opposition party leaders, including Yoon Ho-jung, Emergency Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Kwang-jae, Chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
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