Lee expressed concern that providing arms support to Ukraine could damage South Korea’s efforts to strengthen ties with Russia, which could become an adversary. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, held an emergency press conference on Friday in response to President Yoon Suk-yeol’s suggestion that South Korea might provide arms to Ukraine during a foreign media interview.
Lee stressed that there should be no agreement on arms support to Ukraine during the upcoming U.S.-South Korea summit and vowed to push for legislation that would require the National Assembly to approve any arms shipments to the conflict zone.
Lee expressed concern that providing arms support to Ukraine could damage South Korea’s efforts to strengthen ties with Russia, which could become an adversary.
He also cited the immediate economic impact of arms aid to Ukraine, as more than 150 Korean companies have assets worth KRW 7.6 trillion in Russia.
Moreover, Lee argued that arms support to Ukraine could increase military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, escalating the crisis on the Korean Peninsula and posing a threat to the Republic of Korea’s security.
He also criticized President Yoon for taking a stance against any change in the Taiwan Strait, saying such remarks could worsen already deteriorating relations between South Korea and China. He warned that the crisis in the Taiwan Strait could spill over into the Korean Peninsula crisis and pose a security threat to South Korea.
Lee called on President Yoon before the Korea-U.S. summit to express his stance of refraining from providing weapons of mass destruction to disputed regions and not supporting arms aid to Ukraine.
He also suggested that South Korea stick to its principle of non-intervention in the Taiwan issue and remove it from the discussion of a joint statement.
Lee called for the expression of concern over the wiretapping of the presidential office by U.S. intelligence agencies and confirmation of the U.S. side’s apology and intention to prevent recurrence. Additionally, he called for putting the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the Semiconductor Support Act on the agenda to protect Korean companies.
The majority of the Korean population appears to be concerned about the potential negative impact on relations with Russia if the government were to provide military support to Ukraine. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
According to a June 2022 survey conducted by Gallup Korea, 72% of respondents believed that the Korean government should only provide non-military support, such as medicine and food, to Ukraine.
Only 15% of respondents favored military support, while 6% believed that no support should be provided. The remaining 8% did not express an opinion. Thus, including those who opposed any form of aid, 78% of respondents were against military assistance to Ukraine.
The majority of the Korean population appears to be concerned about the potential negative impact on relations with Russia if the government were to provide military support to Ukraine.
Across all regions, around 70% of respondents stated that only non-military support should be provided, and this sentiment was particularly strong among all age groups.
Some speculate that the replacement of former National Security Office chief Kim Sung-han, who had coordinated President Yoon’s visit to the U.S., and the appointment of the South Korean ambassador to the U.S. as head of the National Security Office may have influenced Seoul’s sudden mention of armed support for Ukraine.
Jerry M. Kim (jerry_kim@koreabizwire.com)
