User:MINJI JEONG/South Korea–Ukraine relations

Political exchanges
Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, On December 30, 1991, the South Korean government recognized Ukraine as a sovereign state. South Korea and Ukraine established diplomatic relations on February 10, 1992. On July 31, 1992, the government of the Republic of Korea established the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ukraine in Kiev, In October 1997, the Ukrainian government established the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Korea in Seoul. Since then, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine have maintained friendly relations, with reciprocal visits by high-ranking officials from both countries.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Seo Hoon (1954) South Korea's Cheong Wa Dae held a National Security Council on February 24, 2022, to discuss measures regarding the Ukraine crisis. Moon Jae-in President of the Republic of Korea, said, "Russia's invasion of Ukraine cannot be justified under any circumstances. South Korea will work for a peaceful resolution of the situation, such as economic sanctions against Russia." The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a spokesperson statement, saying, "We strongly condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which constitutes an act in violation of the United Nations Charter. " and joins the international community's economic sanctions against Russia. The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that it will impose sanctions on Sberbank and the six largest Russian banks (VEB. RF, Sberbank (PSB), VTB Bank, Otkritie, Sovcom, and Novikom]]). The South Korean Financial Services Commission said it would also suspend transactions with Rossiya Bank as of March 7, 2022.

Since the 2014 crisis in Ukraine, the South Korean government has stated that Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity must be respected. Therefore, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea forcible annexation, as well as the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic-Lugansk People's Republic, established by pro-Russian separatist rebels operating in the Donbass region of Ukraine, and Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Donetsk Oblast-Luhansk Oblast-Zaporizhia Oblast-Kherson Oblast It also denies the annexation.

Travel and visas
The Ukrainian government provides South Korean nationals with a South Korean passport with visa-free entry for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, on February 13, 2022, the South Korean government designated Ukraine as a travel ban country due to escalating military tensions with Ukraine. Ukrainian citizens with Ukrainian passports must apply for a visa to enter South Korea. However, if they hold a diplomatic or tolerance passport, they can enter South Korea without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.

Economic exchange
According to the MIT Media Lab Economic Complexity Observatory, South Korea's exports to Ukraine were valued at $479 million in 2020, mainly manufactured goods such as automobiles and various machinery. On the other hand, Ukraine exported $382 million to South Korea, mainly corn, wheat, and other food crops.

People-to-people exchanges
In the late 1930s, the Soviet Union government deported Koreans to Ukraine for allegedly spying for Japan, a Ukrainian Korean community was formed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Koreans living in Central Asia migrated to Ukraine. As of 2022, 49,817 Koreans live in Ukraine.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the South Korean government provided large-scale humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and also provided entry and residency assistance to some Ukrainian refugees who wanted to come to South Korea.