Diplomats in Seoul gather on 1,000th day of full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ambassadors and other representatives of diplomatic missions from around 20 countries filled the Warriors’ Lounge at the the War Memorial of Korea in central Seoul, near the presidential office in Yongsan on Tuesday, as Ukraine marked 1,000 days since Russia launched a full-scale invasion.

The commemorative event was organized by the Ukraine Embassy in South Korea.

Ponomarenko Dmytro, the ambassador of Ukraine to Seoul, said in remarks that North Korea joining Russia in its aggression has made the war a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The alliance between two authoritarian regimes, Russia and North Korea, must be seen for what it is -- a direct challenge to the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and the rule of law,” he said.

Speaking to reporters, the Ukrainian ambassador said his country hoped for more support from the South Korean government.

“We are grateful for all the support Korea provides to us. It’s very meaningful as one of the most important partners for us,” he said.

“But we expect the support will be broader (in terms of) military supplies. We are asking as a first step for purely defensive equipment. It could be radars or antimissile rockets, which are purely defensive.”

He said Kyiv was keeping up an intelligence-sharing relationship with Seoul.

“The delegation combines mostly representatives of the intelligence society of the Republic of Korea, so the communication and exchange of information is going on,” he said, referring to South Korea’s official name.

He confirmed earlier intelligence out of Ukraine that at least 12,000 members of North Korean forces have been deployed by Russia.

“Our intelligence is that about 15,000 North Korean troopers are deployed mostly in the Kursk region. It’s 12,000 to 15,000,” he said. “I don’t know how many of them participated in Donetsk, Luhansk -- the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. They established a center for managing these North Korean troops.”

Dmytro said it was difficult to predict how the cooperation between Russia and North Korea will evolve.

“It could be the engineering troops who will be involved in the production at Russian drone plants and ammunition plants as well. The ammunition facilities of North Korea are also working very intensively to provide Russia with missiles, drones, shells,” he said.

“What will be their next move? We don’t know.”

On the possible impact of former President Donald Trump returning to the White House, the Ukrainian ambassador said dealing with Russia’s war in Ukraine will be one of the US president-elect’s priorities.

Colin Crooks, the UK ambassador in Seoul, told The Korea Herald that Tuesday’s event featuring a traditional Korean rendition of the Ukrainian anthem was “quite symbolic” of how South Korea is “compatible not only culturally but also in terms of values.”

“It was a very solemn and dignified event marking a sad milestone in what’s been a very dark chapter in European history. ... I think of the fact that Korea stands on the same side as the rest of us in opposition to this illegal invasion and is in support of the core values,” he told The Korea Herald.

He said a large number of diplomats showing up on this day was “a reflection of the widespread support across the international community for the plight that Ukraine is in, and our determination that Russia’s illegal invasion should not succeed.”

Rouslan Kats, the political and economic counselor at the Canadian Embassy, told The Korea Herald that the high turnout at the commemorative event showed “the diplomatic community will remain united against this illegal, unprovoked, brutal war led by Russia, and that our support for Ukraine is unwavering.”

“The rapprochement between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, especially with the deployment of North Korean weapons and troops in this war highlights how much the war in Ukraine has a huge impact on security here in Korea,” he said. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is North Korea’s official name.