On October 13, 2025, the New Europe Center (Ukraine) held together with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies (South Korea) an online roundtable discussion “Building Stronger Democratic Partnerships Between Asia and Europe: Ukraine & South Korea Perspectives”.

The Asan Institute for Policy Studies is one of South Korea’s leading think tanks, based in Seoul, dedicated to fostering policy-oriented research and promoting dialogue on global and regional security, democracy, and international cooperation.

The discussion brought together Ukrainian and Korean experts to exchange views on strengthening cooperation between democracies in Europe and Asia in the face of growing global challenges.

Sergiy Solodkyy, Director of the New Europe Center, said:

“Ukraine and South Korea share many common interests – Ukraine’s experience can be valuable for Seoul, just as South Korea’s can be for Kyiv. For example, Seoul has its own history of security guarantees, a strong defense industry. South Korea can not only share its expertise but also become an active participant in the ‘Coalition of the Willing,’ contributing to global security by deterring the militaristic ambitions of authoritarian regimes worldwide”.

Among the Ukrainian participants were Nataliya Butyrska, Associated Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center; Khrystyna Zeleniuk, Associated Fellow at the New Europe Center; Mykhailo Samus, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network; Vyacheslav Likhachev, Expert at the Center for Civil Liberties; and Andriy Mikheiev, International Law Expert at the International Center for Ukrainian Victory.

From the Korean side, the Asan Institute was represented by Dr. Sangmin Shim, Senior Research Fellow, and Dr. Saeme Kim, Associate Research Fellow. Additional participants included Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, Legal Analyst at the Transitional Justice Working Group, and Professor Jung-hyun Cho from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Moderated by Nataliya Butyrska, the discussion covered a wide range of topics, including:

• The current stage of the Russia–Ukraine war and prospects for a peaceful settlement;
• Security guarantees and the idea of a “Coalition of the Willing”;
• The implications of Russia–North Korea cooperation for European and Asian security;
• Opportunities for Ukraine and South Korea to cooperate in reconstruction and defense technology development;
• Mechanisms for ensuring accountability for Russia’s crime of aggression and war crimes in Ukraine;
• Lessons for Asian democracies from Ukraine’s experience in defending sovereignty and advancing democratic resilience.

Participants also explored how Europe and Asia can strengthen mutual support in countering authoritarian threats, promoting international justice, and advancing a rules-based global order.

The New Europe Center sincerely thanks all Ukrainian and Korean speakers for their valuable insights and contributions to this timely and meaningful discussion.

The New Europe Center has been actively working to strengthen Ukraine’s partnerships with key democratic actors in Asia. As part of these efforts, the think tank conducted advocacy visits to Tokyo and Seoul in February this year, organized the Fifth Ukraine–Japan Forum, and published a range of analytical materials.

The online briefing is organized by the New Europe Center (Kyiv, Ukraine) in partnership with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies (South Korea) and supported by the International Renaissance Foundation (Kyiv, Ukraine).