On Thursday, March 19, a roundtable “The International Security Environment: The Spread of War, Drones as a New Battlefield Challenge, and the Ukrainian Experience” took place at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. The event was organized by Member of Parliament Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party (PPP) and gathered over 80 participants.

Nataliya Butyrska, Associate Senior Fellow at the New Europe Center, and Mykhailo Samus, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, were the main speakers at the event, which attracted significant attention from members of the National Assembly, officials from the Ministry of Defense, drone manufacturers, experts, and journalists.

Notably, Shin Sung-bum, Chair of the Intelligence Committee, Han Ki-ho and Lim Jong-deuk, members of the National Defense Committee and Kim Gunn, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasized that “drone warfare is a reality of today.” Representatives of the Republic of Korea’s armed forces need to travel to Ukraine to gain real combat experience, adjusting South Korea’s defense budget accordingly, since the Korean Peninsula is always a hotspot.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has warned partners that this war would inevitably spread to other global hotspots. However, allies and partners often underestimated this risk. With the latest escalation in the Middle East, Ukraine’s experience in countering enemy drones and the development of drone technologies—especially interceptor drones—has become unique globally. This point was particularly highlighted by South Korean participants at the roundtable.

In this context, Nataliya Butyrska stressed the absence of a comprehensive policy from the U.S. and its allies that would include not only diplomatic condemnation but also practical measures to counter military-technical cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Russia’s advantageous proposals for economic and military-technical interaction, despite sanctions and UN resolutions, created conditions under which North Korea’s participation in the war became a rational strategic choice.

Mykhailo Samus noted that Ukraine offers partners opportunities to join joint projects in drone development and production. At the same time, he emphasized that Ukraine’s most unique advantage lies in its knowledge of doctrinal and structural innovation, combining rapid technological iteration, new doctrinal approaches, and structural improvements that remain unavailable to most allies and partners.

The event was held during advocacy visit by the New Europe Center to Seoul (Republic of Korea), supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.