South Korea signs $174m aid package with Ukrainian minister
South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho speaks during an interview with Reuters in Incheon, South Korea, on May 3, 2023.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONMay 17, 2023 6:27 AM
SEOUL - South Korea signed an agreement with Ukraine on Wednesday (May 17) on its plan to provide a $130 million (S$174 million) financial aid package, a day after the visiting first lady of the war-hit country asked for military assistance.
South Korea's finance ministry said Minister Choo Kyung-ho and Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, in Seoul to attend a conference, signed the agreement on the package, which will consist of donations and aid loans.
South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, has said it was not providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its relations with Russia.
But Yoon said in an interview with Reuters last month his government might not "insist only on humanitarian or financial support" if civilians in Ukraine come under a large-scale attack or because of a "situation the international community cannot condone".
ALSO READ: South Korean leader says Seoul considering its options for lethal aid to Ukraine