According to the "Yonhap" news agency, "South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is visiting Ukraine for the first time to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky." The surprise visit follows Yoon's attendance at the NATO summit in Lithuania and his recent visit to Poland, during which he expressed solidarity with Ukraine and discussed ways to support it against the Russian assault. Yoon visited a site in Bucha, near the capital Kyiv, that witnessed mass killings, before heading to Irpin, a residential area that suffered extensive rocket attacks. The presidential office stated that Yoon is expected to hold a summit with Zelensky afterward.
On another note, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin urged China to "play a constructive role in curbing threats from North Korea," following Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week. His remarks came during a meeting yesterday with senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Jakarta, where Park condemned the intercontinental ballistic missile launch by North Korea "strongly." Park's office stated that "North Korea's cessation of provocations and its return to dialogue is a common interest for Seoul and Beijing." The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "Minister Park... emphasized that it is more important than ever for the Chinese side to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula." For several years, the United Nations Security Council has faced divisions regarding how to deal with Pyongyang. China and Russia argue that imposing further sanctions will not help ease tensions, while Washington accuses both Beijing and Moscow of encouraging North Korea by shielding it from additional sanctions.
