Seoul strongly condemned Russia’s aggression and, together with other allies and partners in support of the Ukrainian people who defend their country, imposed unprecedented sanctions and export controls on Russia to deprive it of its resources. President Yoon Seok Yeol of the Republic of Korea stressed that Russia’s military invasion to Ukraine is a violation of international law and a threat to the lives and rights of Ukrainians.
Protests against Russian aggression are constantly held in the country. For example, a rally was held in front of the Russian Embassy in Seoul in support for Ukraine, which has been heroically resisting Russia’s full-scale aggression for a year now. On the eve of the anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine, protesters recalled that Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian civilians on a daily basis and spoke about the occupation of the Crimea and Donbass and the crimes of the Russian occupiers.
The Republic of Korea, joining the sanctions, banned shipments of strategic goods (electronics, semiconductors, computers, sensors and lasers, navigation equipment and avionics, etc.) to Russia, and also joined the steps of Western countries to block Russian banks in the international payment system SWIFT. In particular, financial transactions with seven Russian banks have been blocked: PSB, VEB, VTB, Otkritie banks, Novikombank, Sovkombank and Oschadbank (SBER.MM).
Official Seoul unequivocally confirms its support for the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and does not recognize pseudo-referendums held under military coercion.
The government of the Republic of Korea has provided humanitarian aid of $100 million for Ukraine. This aid includes vaccines for children, emergency medical care for families and power generators for communities affected by Russian missile attacks. The country also donated 100 Ssang Yong Musso pickup trucks and five DOOSAN DX17Z mini-excavators as support to Ukraine.
As part of additional non-lethal aid, the Korean government provided Ukraine with bulletproof vests, helmets, medicines and food in the form of ready-to-eat rations totaling 2 billion won ($1.6 million). Korea’s largest armor plate manufacturer, Welcron, has shipped 5,000 armor plates to Ukraine.
The Government of the Republic of Korea donated 6,000 tablets to Ukrainian children, including 593 to students in Dnipropetrovsk and over 400 tablets to students in Kherson. Initially, the equipment will be given to children who have problems with access to education due to the lack of technical equipment, including IDPs, children whose parents have defended or are defending Ukraine, and children from vulnerable groups. Some of children will receive new devices in the near future, deliveries from other partners for students are planned for 2023.
Thanks to the active position of the “NGO “Korean Society “Asadal” – Charitable Foundation and its chairman Petr Pak, medical institutions of Dnipropetrovsk region are receiving basic goods for the wounded Ukrainian heroes. Foundation “Asadal” constantly transfers new clothes, underwear, shoes, food and hygiene products from the Republic of Korea to internally displaced people who are in the region. Also, the Foundation purchased and donated an ambulance to Petrykivka Central Hospital. In addition, the “Asadal” – Charitable Foundation supports the AFU, in particular, a pickup truck, winter clothes, thermal underwear, warmers and turnstiles were donated to the militaries.
Seoul is ready to take part in long-term projects to restore and rehabilitate the Ukrainian energy sector. Korea has already sent eight humanitarian shipments of energy equipment weighing about 105 tons to Ukraine. The country can also contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction after the war. In particular, to restore the destroyed infrastructure.
The Republic of Korea remains the most important trade partner of Dnipropetrovsk region. The level of partnership relations is evidenced by bilateral analysis of external activities.
Korean enterprises are most interested in grain crops, ferrous metals and their products, fertilizers, etc. The volume of export of goods from Dnipropetrovsk region was $5.83, which is 1.9% of the volume of Ukraine.
29 enterprises of Dnipropetrovsk region exported their products to the Korean market, enterprises of metallurgical complex, chemical, processing industry and agro-industrial complex.
According to the volume of exported products, TOP-5 enterprises of exporters are the following:
In turn, 200 importing enterprises of the region bought more Korean goods, namely: machines and mechanisms, essential oils, plastics and rubber, other. Imports of goods from Korea to Dnipropetrovsk region increased by 43% and amounted to $56.1 million. The region’s share in imports of goods from the Republic of Korea is about 1%.
By the volume of imported products in TOP-5 are the following companies importers:
Import operations were mainly carried out by companies of chemical, processing industry and trading companies.
Source: Information for this article was taken from public sources and the website of the Main Department of Statistics in Dnipropetrovsk region.
