President Yoon's Trip to Ukraine Kept Top Secret Until the End
Local Reporters Asked to Refrain from Using Laptops and Phones
Repeated Requests to "Limit Communications" Despite Sudden Extension
"It seems you will need to stay for two more nights. Communication should be kept to a minimum frequency, and international calls and landline calls are definitely dangerous, as are international texts. Therefore, it would be best to designate one or two people to communicate using indirect language so as not to worry others unnecessarily."
On the 14th (local time) at 2:30 PM, just before the presidential aircraft carrying President Yoon Suk-yeol, his aides, and the press corps was scheduled to return to Korea, a senior official from the National Security Office took the stage to deliver this message. The entrance to the press center, the workspace for local journalists, was closed, and another official asked, "Is there anyone here who is not a South Korean journalist?" to check for outsiders.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Korea-Ukraine expanded summit held at the Mariinsky Palace, the presidential residence in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 15th (local time). [Photo by Yonhap News]
President Yoon's visit to Ukraine was reportedly a decision made after much deliberation until the last minute, only finalized during his visits to Lithuania and Poland. Although the review process began before this trip, the final decision, including the detailed schedule, was made on-site considering the risks and variables. The presidential office only informed the press corps of the visit plan on the day of departure from Ukraine for this reason.
The presidential office maintained strict security measures, citing the extreme danger of the war-torn Ukraine. Due to the need for utmost security, they requested that laptops and mobile phones not be used to record the briefing content. The official stated, "Please understand that since we are going to a country at war, we had to prepare emergency plans. Although it is difficult, we ask for your special cooperation to strictly maintain confidentiality for the sake of South Korea's national interest until we lift the embargo. Please ensure security is upheld even within your organizations."
There were also specific requests to refrain from mentioning the destination country by phone, text, or messenger to companies and family members due to concerns about information leaks. The official asked, "It would be good if you could communicate using indirect language." He explained that the most dangerous time was until around 2 AM when President Yoon arrived in Ukraine and added, "It would be best not to contact Seoul until tonight."
This matter was handled with utmost secrecy even within the presidential office. The plan to visit Ukraine was kept strictly confidential during the trip. A senior presidential official told reporters on the 13th, when asked about additional schedules after the Warsaw speech, "There are no plans at this time." The same official had repeatedly stated before the trip on the 6th that "There are currently no plans or efforts underway for a visit to Ukraine or a summit."
The sudden decision to visit caused the accommodation schedules for aides and the press corps to be extended. Luggage collected earlier on the day of departure to be loaded onto the return flight was returned late. Originally, the trip was scheduled for 4 nights and 6 days, but with the addition of the Ukraine visit, some presidential aides and the entire press corps stayed longer at the Warsaw accommodation. The presidential office hurriedly extended local accommodation contracts and made other preparations for the extended trip. Considering the situation of visiting a country at war, the number of accompanying personnel was minimized. Only a very small number, including National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, accompanied President Yoon.
Instead of returning after the NATO and Poland visits, President Yoon made a sudden visit to Ukraine and announced the 'Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative,' focusing on support in three major areas: security, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction. President Zelensky requested additional support from Korea, and President Yoon conveyed his intention to strengthen solidarity between the two countries, emphasizing the spirit of "live and die together."
First Lady Kim Keon-hee accompanied President Yoon on this trip to Ukraine. They visited the massacre site in Bucha near Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and Irpin city, a civilian residential area that was heavily targeted by missile attacks.
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who completed a state-level official visit schedule in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, made a sudden visit to Ukraine on the 15th (local time) and visited the Irpin residential area bombed near Kyiv. [Photo by Yonhap News]
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