The Republic of Korea’s government has requested that $100 million in aid for Ukraine be included in next year’s budget, despite the unresolved diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
South Korean news outlet JoongAng Ilbo reports this, citing parliamentary and diplomatic sources.
The move is part of fulfilling a promise made by the President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung in July to provide Ukraine with $100 million in aid.
The funds are expected to be allocated, among other things, to NATO’s trust fund, humanitarian aid, and support for Ukraine through programmes for countries affected by conflict and instability.
In particular, South Korea plans to increase its contribution to NATO’s trust fund from $16.7 million (approximately ₩2.48 billion) this year to $50 million (approximately ₩7.45 billion) next year.
The funding for a separate humanitarian aid programme for Ukraine, which received $5 million (approximately ₩740 million) this year, will be increased fourfold to $20 million (approximately ₩2.98 billion).
In addition, a further $30 million (approximately ₩4.47 billion) is planned to be allocated to support Ukraine under a programme providing assistance to countries affected by conflict and instability.
NATO Trust Fund
NATO’s trust fund was established in 2016 to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and provide urgent assistance in the form of non-lethal military equipment.
Following consultations with NATO, the South Korean government began contributing to the fund in 2024. The money is used, among other things, to support the rehabilitation of Ukrainian service members.
According to the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine received a total of $34 million (approximately ₩5.06 billion) under the programme in 2024–2025.
The implementation of these projects is also ongoing this year.
Humanitarian Aid
Humanitarian aid is primarily directed towards areas such as energy, healthcare and education.
It is provided in the form of in-kind assistance through the Korea International Cooperation Agency or funding through international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The requested humanitarian aid for Ukraine next year accounts for approximately 11% of South Korea’s total humanitarian aid budget of ₩270 billion.
Potential areas of support include assistance to internally displaced persons and efforts to search for and register missing persons.
Next year, the South Korean government plans to allocate $74.03 million (approximately ₩11.03 billion) to aid programmes for countries affected by conflict and instability.
Approximately 40% of this amount, or $30 million (around ₩4.47 billion), is earmarked for Ukraine.
Diplomatic Dispute
On September 23, during the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea.
The following day, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Kyiv of breaching an agreement to keep the information confidential, describing the issue of repatriation as extremely sensitive.
A source at the Office of the President of Ukraine told RBC-Ukraine that no confidentiality agreement existed.
Meanwhile, Seoul claimed that Ukraine had insisted on keeping the transfer of the prisoners confidential, and that Volodymyr Zelensky had disclosed the information without prior consultations.
On October 8, the South Korean government recalled its ambassador to Ukraine for consultations and later evacuated embassy staff.
Against this backdrop, some officials have criticised the Korean government’s actions, arguing that they are only deepening the diplomatic dispute.
Song Seok-jun, chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, stated:
“Recent diplomatic tensions must not undermine the progress made in bilateral cooperation. The government must manage relations between the two countries through a carefully calibrated diplomatic approach that also takes into account Korea’s long-term national interests, including participation in future reconstruction projects.”
A spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said:
“The government intends to maintain its principled stance on supporting Ukraine as a responsible member of the international community.”
In early 2025, servicemembers of Tactical Group № 84 of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces, working alongside Air Assault Forces units, managed to capture two North Korean servicemen fighting on Russia’s side in the Kursk region.
Source: Militaryni
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