Yoon, in response to Zelenska's 'request,' says "Closely cooperating with NATO for active support"

Conversation with First Lady Kim Geon-hee... Mrs. Kim: "We will support overcoming adversity"

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, on the 16th and stated, "We will closely cooperate with NATO member countries and the international community to actively support Ukraine." Zelenska, who came to Korea as a special envoy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, requested an expansion of support from President Yoon.

On the afternoon of the same day, President Yoon held a meeting with First Lady Zelenska at the Yongsan Presidential Office, expressing the support and solidarity of the Korean government and people for Ukraine and conveying the government's commitment.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is meeting with Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul on the 16th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

President Yoon expressed condolences for Ukraine and praised First Lady Zelenska, saying, "She has worked to inform the international community about the horrors of the war in Ukraine and to secure support." In response, Zelenska expressed gratitude for Korea's support, solidarity, and humanitarian aid.

In particular, First Lady Zelenska requested an expansion of non-military support from the Korean government. She said, "We hope to receive non-lethal military equipment such as mine detection and removal devices and emergency evacuation vehicles from Korea," and added, "We hope for significant participation from Korean companies in the reconstruction process of Ukraine, where a large elderly population resides." President Yoon replied, "We will closely cooperate with NATO member countries and the international community to actively support Ukraine."

First Lady Zelenska also had a separate conversation with First Lady Kim Geon-hee. At this meeting, Mrs. Kim said, "I highly appreciate First Lady Zelenska's courageous and dedicated efforts in various areas such as children's education amid the war, care for war orphans, and rehabilitation and psychological treatment for veterans." She continued, "Korea also has experience in rebuilding from the ruins of war. We deeply empathize with Ukraine's difficult situation," and added, "We will support the Ukrainian people so that they do not lose hope and overcome adversity."

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