South Korea Will Provide Sweepers And Mine Disposal Equipment For Ukraine

JAKARTA - South Korea pledged to provide more demining equipment for Ukraine, a Seoul official said on Sunday, after leaders of the two countries held a meeting in Kyiv.

Senior Ginseng State officials revealed this after President Yook Suk-yeol's visit to Kyiv last weekend.

"We are thinking of expanding support for mine detectors and mine disposal as Ukraine's demand for the equipment is considered very large," President Yoon's Deputy National Security Adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, said at a news conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warmly welcomed President Yoon's visit, who came with First Lady Kim Keon-hee, promising more military and humanitarian aid for the fight against the Russian invasion.

"During this visit, the first in the history of our relationship, we discussed everything that matters to the normal and safe lives of society, to a regulatory-based international order," President Zelensky wrote on Twitter.

"A very important visit, very important cooperation, shared security protection that is very important. I thank the President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee for negotiations, interactions and cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Korea to save the lives of the people and humanity," he wrote in another post.

President Yoon himself made a promise to provide more assistance in talks with President Zelensky on Saturday, on a surprise visit to Kyiv after attending a NATO summit in Lithuania and visiting Poland, in which he expressed his solidarity with Ukraine.

In a press conference following Saturday's meeting, President Yoon said South Korea would provide Ukraine "larger-scale military supply" after this year's supply of non-lethal supplies such as body shields and helmets.

South Korea is an ally of the United States and major arms exporters, but rejects Western pressure to help directly arm Ukraine, citing business ties with Russia, as well as Moscow's influence on North Korea.