Special Envoy Delegation Led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Visits Korea
Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, who is visiting Korea, arrived at the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building on the 27th for a meeting with Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of National Defense. Photo by Yonhap News
President Yoon Suk-yeol met with a special envoy delegation dispatched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 27th, the presidential office announced.
President Yoon welcomed the special envoy delegation led by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's Minister of Defense. He then said, "I hope South Korea and Ukraine will devise effective countermeasures to address security threats arising from military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia."
After meeting with the president, the Ukrainian special envoy delegation met sequentially with National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik and Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun to discuss cooperation between the two countries.
Special Envoy Umerov said, "Following President Zelenskyy's directive to actively seek cooperation measures with South Korea in response to the intensification of Russia-North Korea military cooperation, I am leading an intergovernmental delegation composed of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy to visit South Korea," adding, "I am pleased that close communication and cooperation between the two countries have been taking place through various channels recently."
He also expressed special gratitude for South Korea's close solidarity with Ukraine, saying, "The various support provided by our government so far has been of practical help to the Ukrainian people."
Special Envoy Umerov provided detailed explanations about the recent situation in Ukraine and the deployment trends of North Korean troops, and conveyed that Ukraine is expanding security cooperation with NATO, European Union (EU) member countries, and other major countries worldwide in response to the crisis, and hopes to strengthen overall cooperation with South Korea going forward.
Both sides agreed to continue sharing information on North Korea's troop deployment to Russia and the transfer of weapons and technology between Russia and North Korea, cooperate with allied countries, and coordinate closely while maintaining communication with the United States.
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