Yoon Returns Home After Visiting Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine for 'Solidarity and Reconstruction' Tour

NATO Meeting, AP4 Meeting, 13 Bilateral Talks Completed
Building Korea-Poland-Ukraine Trilateral Cooperation in Poland
Ukraine Visit Extended from 4 Nights 6 Days to 6 Nights 8 Days
Korea-Ukraine Summit with Zelensky
Announced 'Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative'

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, First Lady Kim Keon-hee, returned home on the 16th (local time) after a 6-night, 8-day tour of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine.

The presidential couple departed at 11:50 a.m. from Warsaw Chopin International Airport in Poland aboard the presidential aircraft, Air Force One.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The theme of President Yoon's tour was identified as 'solidarity' and 'reconstruction.'

For the second consecutive year, President Yoon attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, appealing for international solidarity in support of liberal democracy and sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

During his visits to Poland and Ukraine, he focused on deepening bilateral relations and emphasized peace and reconstruction in Ukraine.

From the 10th to the 12th, President Yoon attended the NATO summit and the AP4 (Asia-Pacific Four countries: South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, expressing his commitment to solidarity for peace in Northeast Asia and Europe. He also held 13 bilateral meetings, including a South Korea-Japan summit.

Taking advantage of the NATO summit, President Yoon discussed the issue of the 'Fukushima nuclear plant contaminated water discharge' with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the South Korea-Japan summit in Vilnius, requesting the participation of Korean experts in the monitoring process of the discharge.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is seen conversing with Protocol Secretary Kim Seung-hee while waiting for a doorstepping (press Q&A) before attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit with allied and partner leaders at the NATO summit venue in Vilnius on the 12th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

He signed an Individual Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP) with NATO in 11 fields including cyber and emerging technologies, and expressed willingness to participate in 'BICES,' which can be described as the 'NATO version of GSOMIA.'

Immediately after the NATO summit, President Yoon made an official visit to Poland, the gateway to Western Europe and a hub for Ukraine's reconstruction. During the South Korea-Poland summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda, they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation for Ukraine's reconstruction.

South Korea plans to provide approximately $52 billion (about 66 trillion won) in support for urgent facility restoration in Ukraine through both government and private sectors, and will participate in the reconstruction projects of major Ukrainian cities estimated to cost up to $100 billion (about 127 trillion won).

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon, who are on an official visit to Poland, are having a conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser Duda at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on the 13th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, at the South Korea-Poland Business Forum attended by Presidents Yoon and Duda, companies and institutions from both countries signed 33 MOUs in areas such as batteries, electric vehicles, nuclear power, and eco-friendly energy.

Notably, President Yoon made a surprise visit to Ukraine, which has been at war for over a year due to Russia's invasion. Originally, his tour was scheduled for 4 nights and 6 days, but it was extended to 6 nights and 8 days due to the secret visit to Ukraine. Before visiting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, President Yoon toured the massacre site in Bucha and Irpin, a civilian residential area heavily targeted by missile attacks.

Afterward, in Kyiv, President Yoon held a summit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasizing the spirit of 'Saengjeuksa (live means die), Sajuksaeng (die means live)' and announced the 'Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative,' which includes security, humanitarian, and reconstruction support.

Considering the severe damage caused by heavy rains, President Yoon plans to immediately preside over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) upon his return.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who made a surprise visit to Ukraine, is talking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the 15th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]