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| ▲ A file photo of South Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk at a regular press briefing on Jan. 12, 2023 (Yonhap) |
foreign ministry-Ukraine
S. Korea says stance on Ukraine 'unchanged' as Russia warns against sending weapons
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's position on supporting Ukraine remains "unchanged," the foreign ministry said Thursday, as Russia warned Seoul against sending weapons to Kyiv.
Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol told Reuters it might be difficult to insist only on humanitarian or financial assistance if Ukraine comes under a large-scale attack on civilians.
The Kremlin has said providing military aid to Ukraine would mean "Seoul becoming involved in the conflict to a certain extent."
Lim told reporters South Korea's position on Ukraine remains unchanged and that Seoul is "actively participating in international efforts to protect Ukraine's freedom and restore peace, including providing humanitarian aid and support."
When asked to comment on Yoon's remarks, Lim replied that "some countries" were mentioned under the premise of "hypothetical circumstances" and declined to comment further.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul, meanwhile, said in a statement sent to Yonhap News Agency that Kyiv hopes South Korea will join efforts to support Ukraine's fight against Russia "by providing state-of-the-art Korean-made defense equipment."
"We would welcome the decision by the Korean government to extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and financial aid," the embassy said, stressing "timely defense assistance from our partners is crucial to end the war in 2023."
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