South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine and President of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine on 2021
South Korea–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between South Korea and Ukraine. Diplomatic Relations were established on February 10, 1992. South Korea has an embassy in Kyiv.[1] Ukraine has an embassy in Seoul.[2]
Political relations
Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea, made a surprise visit to Ukraine on July 15, 2023
Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, with the Dissolution of the Soviet Union,[3] On December 30, 1991, the South Korean government recognized Ukraine as a sovereign state. South Korea and Ukraine established diplomatic relations on February 10, 1992. On July 31, 1992, the government of the Republic of Korea established the Embassy of South Korea in Ukraine in Kyiv,[4][5] In October 1997, the Ukrainian government established the Embassy of Ukraine in South Korea in Seoul. Since then, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine have maintained friendly relations, with reciprocal visits by high-ranking officials from both countries.[4]
The Ukrainian government provides South Korean nationals with a South Korean passport with visa-free entry for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.[14] However, on February 13, 2022, the South Korean government designated Ukraine as a travel ban country due to escalating military tensions with Ukraine.[15][16][17] Ukrainian citizens with Ukrainian passports must apply for a visa to enter South Korea. However, if they hold a diplomatic or tolerance passport, they can enter South Korea without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.
Economic relations
Since 1998, Korean exports to Ukraine have generally grown each year, except for a decline in 1999. However, due to the financial crisis in Ukraine in late 2008, there was a significant 76.0% drop in 2009. Following that, Korean exports to Ukraine experienced steady growth, but starting in 2013, the country's exports declined sharply as the Ukrainian economy faced challenges from the Revolution of Dignity and the civil war in the eastern region.[18]
According to the MIT Media Lab Economic Complexity Observatory, South Korea's exports to Ukraine were valued at $479 million in 2020, mainly manufactured goods such as automobiles and various machinery. On the other hand, Ukraine exported $382 million to South Korea, mainly corn, wheat, and other food crops.[20]
Top 10 Export Items from South Korea to Ukraine
(Unit: Thousand USD, %)[18]
Since 2008, when Ukraine (TV channel) aired "슬픈연가," "대장금," "다모," and "태양의 여자" to high ratings, interest in Korean dramas has steadily grown, and in 2017, five Korean dramas were imported and remade into local formats by major Ukrainian broadcasters, achieving the highest ratings of their time.[19]
Movie
With the spread of the Korean Wave in Ukraine, interest in Cinema of Korea has increased. In 2008, Kyiv hosted the first Korean film festival, and in 2016, a film about North Korean defectors was chosen to screen at the Molodist (Kyiv International Documentary Film Festival). This film attracted a lot of attention from Ukrainian media. With the screenings of Park Chan-wook's "The Handmaiden" in 2016 and Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" as the Odesa International Film Festival's opening film in 2019, South Korean cinema is growing in popularity in Ukraine.[19]
Korean
Korean language departments were established in 1998 at Kyiv National Linguistic University and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. A Korea Education Institution, which is crucial to the growth and spread of Korean language instruction in Ukraine, was established in Kyiv in March 2017. In September 2018, the University of Customs and Finance in Ukraine's industrial hub of Dnipro also established a Korean language department.
Every year, there are more Korean majors and trainees. The Korea Education Institution, founded in 2017, had about 200 students in its first year and doubled to about 400 in 2019.[19]
Korean cuisine
Over 30,000 Koryo-saram reside in Ukraine, so there is a portion of the population that is familiar with some Korean cuisine. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ukraine organized a successful 'Taste of Korea' event in 2017, and in 2018, the embassy is making efforts to promote Korean cuisine, including a presentation of Korean cuisine at a cultural event commemorating the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.[19]
A larger migration started in the 1980s when Koryo-saram from Central Asia started moving to Ukraine for seasonal agricultural work. Koryo-saram first arrived in Ukraine in the 1950s to study abroad and work, but the migration really took off in those years. The Koryo-saram population was 12,711 in 2001, per a census survey in Ukraine. ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs projects that there will be about 30,000 Koryo-saram as of 2019, including unregistered or stateless Koryo-saram, according to their estimates. The Koryo-saram organization has put the number at 15,631.[19]
Expatriates
As of January 2020, there were approximately 612 people in Ukraine according to the Ukrainian Immigration Office (based on those staying for 3 months or longer). This includes 41 permanent residents, about 110 individuals involved in local offices and personal businesses, around 128 missionaries, about 179 international students, 97 people in Ukrainian and foreign records, and 57 people working in government agencies (such as embassies and KOTRA).[19] On February 8, 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that there are 354 people from Korea residing in Ukraine. The Ministry also noted that the number of expatriates has been decreasing.[21]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to upgrade the travel advisory for 12 provinces in southeastern Ukraine to Level 3 (travel recommendation) on January 25 (Tuesday) as part of strengthening safety measures for South Korean citizens. Travel advisories at Level 3 (travel recommendation) were already applied to Crimea and Donbass within Ukraine, but have now been expanded to 15 regions (Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Odesa, and Mykolaiv). The South Korean Embassy in Ukraine has contacted South Korean expatriates residing in Ukraine to check on their safety status and re-examine emergency communication networks. In addition, the embassy is securing water and emergency food supplies in cooperation with the embassies of other countries, and is also updating evacuation and support plans for expatriates in case of an emergency.[22] On February 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea) decided to urgently issue a travel alert level 4 (travel ban) for all regions of Ukraine.[23] On February 22, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released an official statement.[24]
The Republic of Korea Embassy in Ukraine noted that beginning on March 8, Korea sent emergency medical supplies to Ukraine as part of their $10 million in humanitarian assistance commitment. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Moon Jae-in on March 3 via a telephone conversation.[26]
ROK Embassy in Ukraine published an article about a phone conversation between Chung Eui-yong, the Korean minister of foreign affairs, and Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs, on April 15. Minister Chung explained the support provided by Korea and its future plans. Minister Kuleba expressed gratitude for Korea's solidarity and support, and both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.[27]
ROK Embassy in Ukraine reported that the Korean government sent approximately 20 tons of additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine on April 19. The aid is intended to provide assistance to the Ukrainian people and refugees who are experiencing severe crisis as a result of Russia's continued invasion. The Korean government is collaborating closely with the Ukrainian embassy in Korea to determine the specifics of the aid, and is prioritizing Ukraine's requests in selecting items. The Korean government hopes that this aid will help alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people and refugees, and has expressed its willingness to provide further assistance if necessary.[28]
On April 18, 2023, Reuters reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had said South Korea might extend its support for Ukraine if the country comes under large-scale civilian attack. This marked the first indication that Seoul might be willing to provide weapons to Ukraine. President Yoon explained that while considering South Korea's relationship with the parties engaged in the war and the developments in the battlefield, they will take the most appropriate measures.[29]
In May 2023, during the Asian Leadership Conference both the Government of Ukraine and the Republic of Korea signed an agreement for loans from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, a division of the Export–Import Bank of Korea. The loan included US$300 million within 3-4 months and additional funds in 2024, with gradually increasing amounts as projects are completed in Ukraine.[30] During the visit, first deputy prime minister and minister of economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, met with representatives from various Korean businesses, including Hyundai Motors, the latter of which they discussed the possibility of building electric vehicle manufacturing plants in Ukraine.[31]
On June 22, 2023, South Korea's Government Policy Coordination Minister, Bang Moon-kyu, attended a conference in London focused on Ukraine's post-war recovery, pledging an additional $130 million in aid this year on top of last year's $100 million contribution. The conference convened officials from 61 countries, leaders of 33 international organizations, and approximately 400 companies to discuss support for Ukraine's reconstruction following Russia's invasion, with a strong emphasis on the private sector's role in the recovery.[32]
Dispute
Despite ROK government's effort to Ukraine, there are some concerns that the ROK does not truly support Ukraine. Korea has promised $100 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but has not offered to supply any weapons. A representative for the ROK Ministry of National Defense said that the nation is not planning to offer direct military assistance. Nevertheless, South Korea negotiated one of its biggest ever arms deals—a multibillion dollar one—with Poland in August to deliver tanks and howitzers. Poland has been one of the main military suppliers to Ukraine.[33] South Korea has also taken action to help the Ukrainian people and their refugees. South Korea sent $100 million in help to Ukraine during the first several months of the conflict, including supplies for children's immunizations, emergency medical supplies, and electrical generators. Rather than sending weapons directly to Ukraine, South Korea has given the go-ahead for the export of weapons or parts of weapons that are not entirely Korean in origin but do contain South Korean components. Additionally, it has reportedly agreed to sell more ammunition to Washington and has sold ammunition to the US for transfer to Ukraine.[34]
Leaked US documents[35] reveal a conversation between President Yoon's foreign affairs secretary, Yi Mun-hui, and the former National Security Advisor, Kim Sung-han, raising concerns about the destination of ammunition. They feared that the US might not be the intended recipient, and were also worried about a potential call from President Biden to President Yoon regarding the issue. Changing South Korea's weapons policy towards Ukraine could be seen as yielding to US pressure. In light of this, Mr. Kim suggested exploring the possibility of selling shells to Poland instead, as the speedy delivery of ammunition to Ukraine remained the United States' primary objective.[36]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine asked South Korea for aid. As noted in October 2022 South Korea had provided Ukraine with some resources, but refused to supply lethal weaponry.[37] Even until March 2023 the South Korean government refused to supply Ukraine with lethal weaponry because of a decades-old legal prohibition on this practice to any parties involved in conflict. However, as of April 2023, the government would supply weapons components.[38]
In an interview on 18 April 2023 South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol said his country "might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack".[39] Said Yoon: "If there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war, it might be difficult for us to insist only on humanitarian or financial support."[40]
On 20 June 2024, South Korean National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin, after the visit to North Korea by Russian President Putin, said his country planned to "reconsider the issue of arms support to Ukraine".[41]
State and official visits
State and official visits to South Korea by Ukraine[19]
Date
Visits
1994.7
Prozhivalskiy, Head of Postal Services (attended UPU General Assembly)
^ abcdefghijkMinistry of Korean Foreign Affairs, Central Europe (2020). Overview of Ukraine (Report). Ministry of Korean Foreign Affairs, Central Europe.
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