By Reporter Lee jon young

 

I would like to express my gratitude to President Zelensky for the invitation and special consideration during these challenging times. First and foremost, I extend deep condolences to the innocent Ukrainian citizens who lost their lives due to Russia's illegal aggression and to the young Ukrainians and their families who sacrificed their lives to defend freedom. As the President of the Republic of Korea, I feel a great sense of responsibility as I visit Ukraine for the first time, especially during this critical period.

 

 

During this visit, along with the South Korean government delegation, I hope to provide some support to President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people who are enduring difficult times.

 

The current situation in Ukraine reminds me of South Korea 70 years ago. After the illegal communist invasion by North Korea, South Korea faced a crisis where 90% of its territory was taken away within a few months, and its very existence was threatened.

 

However, with the help of the UN forces and the international community, we miraculously achieved victory on the southern defense line and repelled the invasion from the North. Overcoming the scars of war, South Korea has grown into one of the most free, peaceful, and prosperous nations in the world today.

The current situation in Ukraine brings to mind what President Zelensky said, "As a president, I have no right to be afraid of death."

 

If we firmly unite with the spirit of "If you want to live, you will die, but if you want to die, you will live," we can undoubtedly preserve our freedom and democracy.

 

Today, I discussed cooperation plans with President Zelensky to write a new chapter of hope. We have agreed to jointly pursue the "Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative," which encompasses support for Ukraine's security, humanitarian support, and reconstruction support.

 

Regarding security support, President Zelensky and I have decided to further enhance efforts to strengthen Ukraine's security. We empathize with the importance of the "Peace Formula" proposed by President Zelensky and will work towards the successful hosting of the "Peace Formula Summit."

 

In particular, South Korea aims to play a facilitating role to encourage more major countries to participate in the Peace Formula Summit and join the coalition of freedom.

 

South Korea will continue to provide the military supplies that Ukraine needs. Following last year's support for military items such as body armor and helmets, we will provide even larger quantities of military supplies this year. Additionally, we will lead the discussions and actions of the international community to enhance global food security and energy security, which have been weakened by the Ukrainian war.

 

As for humanitarian support, both of us have agreed to swiftly provide the humanitarian assistance that the Ukrainian people need through close communication between our two countries. After my summit meeting with President Zelensky in May, I promptly delivered safety equipment and humanitarian aid, including mine detectors, which Ukraine needed.

 

The Korean government, after providing approximately 100 million US dollars in humanitarian aid last year, will effectively implement the support of 150 million US dollars this year.

 

Furthermore, this year, we plan to newly execute financial support, in cooperation with the World Bank, to stabilize Ukraine's finances.

 

Regarding reconstruction support, our two presidents have decided to expand cooperation between the governments and companies of both countries for Ukraine's reconstruction.

 

We welcome the signing of the Basic Agreement on the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) between our two countries last May, and we have agreed to swiftly identify and promote cooperative projects between our countries, utilizing the 100 million US dollars already allocated by the Korean government for various cooperation projects, including infrastructure construction.

 

We will also expand cooperation to build Ukraine's on and offline education system. We will promote cooperation for the reconstruction of educational institutions destroyed by war, centered around the KOICA office opened in Kyiv last year.

 

We have also decided to expand support for Ukraine's future generations. Through the establishment of the "Yoon Suk-yeol-Zelensky Scholarship," we will support Ukrainian students studying in Korea to complete their studies without worries, and we will expand scholarship programs to benefit more students.

 

Thanks to President Zelensky's interest, Ukrainian students now learn about the "Miracle on the Han River" in their textbooks. I firmly believe that the "Miracle of the Dnieper River" will undoubtedly come true. South Korea will become a reliable partner in nurturing Ukraine's freedom, peace, and prosperity, and will further contribute to the world's freedom, peace, and prosperity, along with Ukraine.

 

President Zelensky and I will communicate more closely and cooperate further toward this hopeful future. Thank you.