Representatives of the New Europe Center – Nataliya Butyrska, Associate Senior Fellow, and Krystyna Zeleniuk, Associate Fellow– together with Mykhailo Samus, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, visited the Republic of Korea on March 18–22. During the visit, the team held a series of meetings, public events, and expert discussions aimed at strengthening Ukraine–Korea dialogue on security issues.
“During the visit, we emphasized that security challenges in Europe and Asia are closely interconnected. In particular, the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea creates risks not only for Ukraine but also for security on the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, Ukraine’s experience in countering Russian aggression, including the development of unmanned technologies, has generated significant interest among Korean partners and can contribute to strengthening our shared security”, noted Nataliya Butyrska.
In particular, two public events were held: a roundtable at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea titled “The International Security Environment: The Spread of War, Drones as a New Battlefield Challenge, and the Ukrainian Experience” and a panel discussion “Four Years of Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Global Instability and Implications for the Korean Peninsula”. Participants discussed the transformation of modern warfare, including the growing role of unmanned systems, as well as the impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on the global security landscape.
The visist of Ukrainian expert delegation had attention not only from experts but also from local media. As a result, coverage appeared in South Korean outlets, including The Korea JoongAng Daily https://cutt.ly/mtI89CF1, The Korea Times https://cutt.ly/atI895wQ, Sisa Week https://cutt.ly/ftI88W0t, Seoul Economic Daily https://cutt.ly/DtI87z1Z, Radio Free Asia https://cutt.ly/otI86bd5, Reportera Korea https://cutt.ly/htI4wSqc, and others.
As part of the visit, a separate meeting was held with Yu Yong-weon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, representative of the People Power Party, Vice Chair of the Korea–Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, and member of the National Defense Committee. The NEC team also held bilateral discussions with leading South Korean think tanks, including the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy, Sejong Institute, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, and Korea National Diplomatic Academy, as well as meetings with media representatives and opinion leaders.
The parties discussed the importance of continued support for Ukraine, particularly in the energy and humanitarian sectors, as well as the need to maintain sanctions pressure on Russia. Ukrainian experience in modern warfare, especially the use of and countermeasures against unmanned technologies, sparked strong interest among Korean partners.
The visit marked an important step in strengthening sustainable cooperation between the New Europe Center and the analytical and expert community of the Republic of Korea, as well as in deepening a shared understanding of security challenges and identifying practical avenues for cooperation.
We express our gratitude to our partners for their openness to dialogue and their willingness to further develop cooperation.
The advocacy visit of the New Europe Center to Seoul (Republic of Korea) was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.
