SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked South Korea to join forces in nuclear energy, resource development, and the defense industry for the purpose of rebuilding the war-torn nation, Seoul officials stated Saturday.
A group of government officials and business people who visited Kyiv this week to explore South Korea’s potential participation in reconstruction projects, estimated to be worth around 1,200 trillion won (US$902 billion), returned home Saturday morning.
At a meeting with them Wednesday, Zelensky requested assistance in the area of nuclear energy, particularly expressing interest in South Korea’s skill in large-scale atomic power technology, the delegation said.
Zelensky also voiced hopes for South Korea’s aid in solar energy generation technology and the construction and expansion of oil-refining facilities, they said.
“President Zelensky seemed to envision a partnership between Ukraine and South Korea in the energy sector, with a focus on the European Union market,” a member of the delegation said.
Zelensky also suggested a joint effort in mining lithium, a key component of rechargeable batteries, since Ukraine has substantial lithium deposits in its eastern region.
In the field of defense, Zelensky proposed combining South Korean defense manufacturing technology with Ukraine’s intelligence on Russia to create sophisticated weaponry that could be exported to European countries, the delegation said.
Moreover, the president expressed hopes for South Korea’s involvement in a variety of other sectors, including car manufacturing, dam restoration, and the construction of a high-speed railway line connecting Kyiv and Warsaw, Poland.
At the meeting, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, who led the delegation, confirmed South Korea’s dedication to actively supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.
He said the high-speed railway project could move forward quickly and that both the South Korean government and businesses were keen to collaborate on nuclear energy, lithium, automobiles, and various construction projects, according to delegates.
South Korea plans to dispatch a second economic delegation, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, to Kyiv later this year.(END)