Ministry of Foreign Affairs Expects ICC to "Rightfully Exercise Authority" in Investigating Russian War Crimes

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We hope that the International Criminal Court (ICC) can legitimately exercise the authority granted under the Rome Statute and procedures regarding its investigation of war crimes in Ukraine."

On the 3rd, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said at a regular briefing, "The government's basic position is that it has continuously supported the ICC's role in eradicating war crimes and crimes against humanity," adding, "So far, our government has not received any requests related to joint referrals to the ICC concerning the Ukraine situation."

Currently, the ICC Prosecutor is reported to have begun collecting evidence of war crimes in Ukraine at the request of 39 member states. This is due to the surge in civilian casualties in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion and allegations that Russia used prohibited weapons of mass destruction.

Spokesperson Choi also responded to the U.S. raising the issue of revoking Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council by saying, "This issue is not officially being discussed at the UN Human Rights Council," and added, "The government will monitor related developments and communicate with the international community."

A Foreign Ministry official, regarding Ukraine encouraging foreigners to enlist through overseas diplomatic missions, said, "The government prioritizes the safety of our citizens as a top policy goal along with other factors related to the Ukraine situation," reminding that the entire territory of Ukraine has been designated as a travel ban area.

The official only stated that the government supports and encourages the efforts of neighboring countries such as Romania and Poland to accept Ukrainian refugees.

Meanwhile, it is known that on the previous day, Noh Kyu-duk, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Office for Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula, explained the South Korean government's basic position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine during a phone call with Igor Morgulov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia in charge of the Asia-Pacific region and the chief representative for the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear issue.

The government condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law and holds the position of participating in sanctions for the peaceful resolution of the situation. This is the first communication between senior diplomatic officials of South Korea and Russia since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.