South Korea’s president vows to expand non-lethal aid to Kyiv in meeting with Ukraine’s first lady

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is vowing to expand the country’s non-lethal aid to Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression. Yoon met with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, who was in Seoul on Tuesday as a special envoy of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Yoon’s office said that during the meeting, Zelenska requested that South Korea expand its support of non-lethal military supplies, including equipment for detecting and removing mines and ambulance vehicles. South Korea is a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military. It has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine. But it has not directly provided arms to Ukraine, citing a long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.