South Korea Prez Yoon pledges humanitarian support for Ukraine, criticises Russia's war

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol on Sunday vowed to expand humanitarian assistance for war-torn Ukraine as he also lambasted Russia for its brutal invasion. Yoon labelled Russia's ongoing military offensive in Ukraine as a violation of international laws, his office said in a release. South Korean leader, in his most vocal criticism yet, urged that Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence "should be respected." He then noted that his government has decided to approve an assistance package for Ukrainians to counter Russian aggression. 

Speaking at the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Yoon also demanded that there must be freedom of navigation guaranteed by Russia's ally Beijing to other countries in the South China Sea. He slammed PRC for escalating tensions in the disputed waters with military might and assertiveness, and its coercion in Taiwan Strait. 

South Korea to sell 155mm artillery shells to US

But in what is being said as his most assertive tone on the Russia-Ukraine war yet, Yoon openly derided the regime of the Russian Federation for bombing the neighbouring nation. In his earlier statements, the South Korean president was involved in reassuring Moscow that his country had refrained from supplying any lethal weapons to Ukraine, explaining his government’s position during the conflict. His statements came in response to Russia's President Vladimir Putin's warnings that such acts will tarnish their bilateral ties permanently.

On Sunday, however, Yoon launched a scathing attack on Russia opposing its military incursions. The Korean nation also resorted to selling 155mm artillery shells to the United States to replace the stockpile to be delivered to the Ukrainian forces. The US agreed to make a purchase of an estimated 100,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition to supply to Ukraine that would replenish artillery units for at least several weeks of intensive combat during the winters. In a symbolic trip, South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup visited the US geospatial intelligence agency near Washington, DC last week. It turned out to be the first official trip to NGA by a South Korean defense minister. He also held a bilateral meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the war in Ukraine.