Presidential Office highlights importance of Ukrainian Defense Minister’s visit to Seoul
Photo: Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Mykhailo Podolyak (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine).
The visit of Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to Seoul is important not only for Ukraine but also for South Korea. Communication between the countries is reaching a new level, said Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
According to him, South Korea realizes that the risk of escalation on the Korean Peninsula has increased. The involvement of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine allows Pyongyang to gain combat experience, which could lead to a restructuring of its military training system.
“They (North Korean troops - ed.) will take part in combat operations on a rotational basis, training their officers on the ground. This will transform the North Korean army in terms of experience and the effectiveness of its training system,” Podolyak said.
The advisor to the Office of the President also believes that North Korea will gain additional technologies for coordination, command systems, electronic warfare, and drones.
In Podolyak's view, these actions by Pyongyang are pushing South Korea toward closer cooperation with Ukraine. This is likely to include the establishment of advisory councils, information exchange, etc.
"South Korea will be interested in using certain weapons in Ukraine. Why? Because they will be able to gain relevant experience in using weapons directly in war. The main thing here is that the communication is at a completely different level," Podolyak emphasized.
Umerov's visit to Seoul
According to Yonhap, a Ukrainian delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived in South Korea on November 27. Umerov is expected to meet with the President and Defense Minister of South Korea.
According to media reports, the Ukrainian Defense Minister will share intelligence on the deployment of DPRK troops in Russia and discuss military support from South Korea.
Earlier, South Korea sharply criticized North Korea for sending its troops to war against Ukraine. North Korean soldiers are stationed in the Kursk region and have already participated in battles against the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
South Korea's President said that his country would consider a possible transfer of weapons to Ukraine against the backdrop of sending troops to the front by North Korea.
