Lawmaker Na Kyung-won criticizes Seoul’s policy toward Ukraine — Korea Herald

In South Korea, Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party, criticized the administration of President Lee Jae-myung over its dispute with Ukraine. She said that the authorities in Seoul had themselves caused a diplomatic crisis in relations with Kyiv, Korea Herald reports.

A letter of thanks to Zelenskyy

Na Kyung-won said on Facebook that she intends to send Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a letter of thanks. According to her, this is necessary to correct the government’s misguided diplomacy and reaffirm the solidarity of liberal democracies.

The lawmaker, who is serving her fifth term and previously led the parliamentary faction of the People Power Party’s predecessor, the Liberty Korea Party, said the Lee Jae-myung administration’s approach is irrational and benefits only the Russian Federation, the aggressor state, and North Korea.

She also reproached the government for, in her assessment, not protesting against North Korea after South Korean servicemen were injured by mines along the military demarcation line, nor against Russia. Instead, according to Na Kyung-won, Seoul is responding with hostility to Ukraine’s transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

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Recall of ambassador and dispute

The day before, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recall of its ambassador from Ukraine without explaining the reasons. The ministry merely expressed hope that various unresolved issues would be settled.

Tensions between Seoul and Kyiv intensified after Zelenskyy’s speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he announced the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul subsequently demanded an apology, citing an agreement to keep the transfer secret.

Separately, Ukraine stated that petroleum product shipments from South Korean ports had reached Russia and helped it compensate for losses in oil refining capacity after Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The South Korean presidential administration rejected these claims as inaccurate and inappropriate, stating that it complies with sanctions and export controls against Russia.