Representative Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (MDP) emphasized that "no agreement on arms support for Ukraine should be reached at the ROK-US summit" in response to President Yoon Seok-yeol's suggestion in a foreign interview about the possibility of providing weapons assistance to Ukraine, which is at war with Russia.

Representative Lee held an emergency press conference in the National Assembly this afternoon (21st) and said, "If arms aid is actually provided to Ukraine, the ramifications and shocks will be unimaginable."

If actual arms support is provided, relations with Russia, a pillar of Northeast Asian diplomacy, could deteriorate to the extreme, threatening our security.

It also appears to reflect the Democratic Party's problematic sense that trying to consolidate ties between the United States and South Korea could turn Russia into an enemy.

Representative Lee was immediately concerned about the adverse impact of arms aid to Ukraine on the economy.

"There are more than 150 of our companies in Russia, such as Hyundai Motor Company, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Lotte, and local assets amount to 7.6 trillion won," Lee said, adding, "Arms support to Ukraine may effectively lead to the closure of our companies."

In addition, Representative Lee said that arms support for Ukraine could be, above all, an obstacle to peace in Northeast Asia.

"[Arms aid] will stimulate North Korea-Russia military closeness, which in turn will further escalate the crisis on the Korean peninsula and threaten our security," Yi said, pointing out that "in effect, relations between the ROK and Russia will regress to what they were before the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1990."

He said, "Above all, as the only divided country in the world, it is self-justified to provide weapons of destruction to conflict areas," and asked, "How can a 'country that exports murder to war zones' ask the international community for peace on the Korean peninsula?"

He also criticized President Yun for saying in an interview that he opposes changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

"Bringing up the Taiwan issue bluntly at a time when relations between the ROK and China have deteriorated since the inauguration of the Yun Seok-yeol administration is to add fuel to the deterioration of bilateral relations," Lee said, adding, "The crisis in the Taiwan Strait is likely to be transferred to a crisis on the Korean peninsula and a security threat to the Republic of Korea."

He said, "Our people and companies may suffer enormous damage that is incomparable to the THAAD (High Altitude Area Missile Defense) situation."

Representative Yi said, "We must not undermine friendly relations with China and Russia, which are essential for peace, stability, and national interests," and asked, "Should the conservative regime itself destroy the foundation of northern diplomacy laid by its predecessors and developed by previous governments?"

Ahead of the U.S.-ROK summit, President Yun was asked not to agree to arms support for Ukraine and to express his principle of not providing lethal weapons to conflict zones.

We also proposed adhering to the principle of non-Korean involvement in Taiwan affairs and excluding it from discussions in the U.S.-ROK Joint Statement.

Representative Lee also urged the U.S. intelligence agencies to "clarify their awareness of the issue of wiretapping of the president's office, apologize to the U.S. side, and confirm their intention to prevent recurrence," and "put the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Semiconductor Support Act on the agenda so that our companies will not be harmed."

Representative Yi said, "The MDP will be a bulwark against all words and actions that threaten the lives, safety, and national interests of the people," and "we will also consider enacting and amending related laws to obtain the consent of the National Assembly, the representative of the people, on the issue of providing weapons to conflict areas."

(Photo = Yonhap News)