SEOUL, November 27. /TASS/. Several South Korean political organizations are holding protests against arms deliveries to Kiev on Wednesday, following the reported arrival of Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Seoul, a TASS correspondent on the ground reported.
The Workers' Solidarity political organization has started a protest in front of the Presidential Residence of South Korea in Seoul. "They say that President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to meet a special Ukrainian delegation in his office in Yongsan today. During this meeting, the special delegation is expected to ask the president to supply weapons," the activists said.
Earlier on Wednesday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that the delegation led by Umerov had arrived in South Korea, where they are expected to meet with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. "Yoon Suk Yeol’s government has seriously begun to contemplate sending weapons [to Kiev], Workers' Solidarity said. Members of the group emphasized that they see the war in Ukraine as a fight for superiority between the West, which pushed the Ukrainians to the frontlines, and Russia, while ordinary Ukrainian and Russian civilians find themselves helplessly in the crosshairs. They also noted that using ATACMS to strike deep into Russia only leads to escalation, with the US making the situation even worse by sending such inhumane weapons as antipersonnel landmines. "Yoon Suk Yeol’s government’s plans to supply arms to Ukraine will only aggravate this catastrophe," they believe.
According to the organization, the decision in favor of supplying arms will only escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. It demanded that the Republic of Korea not go forward with "plans on arms deliveries," and the West give up on "expanding the war." Prior to the Workers’ Solidarity protest, the Solidarity for Independent Unification and Peace rallied against the Ukrainian delegation’s visit in the same place. The latter also held protests in a number of large cities across South Korea.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that delivering weapons to Ukraine will destroy the bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea.