Seoul: US Ambassador Philip Goldberg called on Friday for South Korea to “keep speaking out” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stressing the importance of the two allies working together on global issues.
Goldberg made the remark during a lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, after tensions flared between South Korea and Russia last month following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suggestion of a shift in South Korea’s policy of providing only non-lethal aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, Yonhap news agency reported.
“We need you to work with us to find solutions to the climate crisis. We need you to continue standing up for our shared democratic values, such as respect for human rights,” he said.
“And we need you to keep speaking out against atrocities, like Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
In an interview with Reuters, Yoon said it might be difficult for South Korea to insist only on providing humanitarian or financial assistance if Ukraine comes under a large-scale attack on civilians.
Russia has since warned that supplying military aid to Ukraine would mean Seoul “becoming involved in the conflict to a certain extent” and would represent “an openly hostile anti-Russian move”.
“The world has watched in horror as Russia embarked on a senseless war of aggression in violation of international law, killing tens of thousands, destroying civilian infrastructure and wreaking havoc on the global economy,” Goldberg said.
“I want to praise the South Korea government for helping Ukraine’s vast humanitarian needs and for implementing sanctions on Russia to make sure they pay a price for this pointless destruction,” he added.
The Ambassador also reaffirmed the US security commitment to South Korea is firm.
“There should be no doubt that our commitment to South Korea’s defence is ironclad, as it has been for the past 70 years,” he said.
Goldberg denounced North Korea’s destabilising actions, such as missile launches, saying Pyongyang is using its scarce resources to develop weapons of mass destruction, rather than caring for its people.
Still, he said diplomacy is the “only viable way to achieve a safe and stable Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons”.
The envoy also spoke at length about the recent summit between Yoon and US President Joe Biden, saying the two leaders “looked a lot like old college friends”.
“To ensure we are ready to stand against any threat, our presidents announced a new forum to discuss the full range of our combined defensive capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defence,” he said, referring to the Washington Declaration adopted at the White House summit.
–IANS
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