Following Russia's attack on Ukraine, President Moon Jae-in stated on Thursday that the country will work with the international community, including through actions such as sanctions against Russia.
Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have reached their highest level in years with the dispatch of Russian soldiers into Ukraine on the same day as the planned strike.
"The use of force that results in the deaths of innocent people cannot be justified under any circumstances," Moon stated in the afternoon after receiving a report on the Ukraine event from the head of the National Security Office. "Despite the repeated warnings from the international community and efforts to address the situation via diplomacy, the feared armed invasion of Ukraine took place," the statement said.
"As a responsible member of the international community, South Korea would support and participate in the international community's measures, including economic sanctions, to deter armed invasion and peacefully settle the issue," he stated.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement earlier in the morning, stating that the government is carefully considering countermeasures with its allies, particularly the United States, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has been described as "imminent."
It is evident that if Russia participates in any sort of all-out conflict, the Korean government will have no option but to participate in sanctions against Russia, such as export limits, despite repeated warnings from the international community, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"We will study and consider feasible methods to minimize the damage to the Korean economy and businesses," the administration stated, referring to the potential harm that these actions might have on the Korean economy and businesses.
The South Korean Embassy in Ukraine has asked Korean people to relocate to safer areas, claiming that all workers of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine have left the country and that the likelihood of a Russian invasion is growing.
On February 23 (local time), "all workers of the Russian Embassy and consulate in Ukraine departed the country in a haste," according to an emergency warning issued on the website of the Korean Embassy in Ukraine. "It has also been revealed that embassy workers from other nations also departed Kyiv in a rush after being told to do so by Ukrainian authorities."
According to the embassy, the severity of the situation is quite high, and the likelihood of a Russian assault is rising.
"Given the rapidly changing nature of the situation, we strongly advise Korean nationals still living in Ukraine to be fully prepared to flee to a safe location as soon as possible in the event of an emergency."
The embassy also requested that the remaining Korean residents maintain in touch with the embassy as well.
At the end of last month, the number of Koreans resident in Ukraine had risen to 600 individuals. However, once the Ukrainian government issued a level 4 travel warning for the whole country on February 13, the vast majority of them were evacuated to safer places.
At the moment, 64 Korean nationals reside in Ukraine. Ten Koreans from the Crimean Peninsula, as well as government officials, are not included in the total. Thirty-six people are anticipated to leave the nation in the near future, while the remaining individuals are trying to remain.
In the event of an emergency, military transport planes will be used to evacuate Korean residents who are currently residing in Ukraine, according to military authorities.
As reported by the Korea Times on Tuesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan stated, "The Ministry of National Defense will actively cooperate to transfer overseas Koreans when requested in connection with this situation," adding, "We are continuing to maintain a close cooperation system with related agencies and countries."
