Seoul hustles to get sanctions going on Russia

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Seoul hustles to get sanctions going on Russia

Published: 28 Feb. 2022, 17:04 Updated: 28 Feb. 2022, 19:37

Civic groups protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine in front of the Russian Embassy in central Seoul on Monday. [NEWS1]

Korea will restrict its exports of strategic goods to Russia to protest its invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.

“The Korean government will control the export of strategic goods to Russia,” said the ministry in a statement on Monday, adding that additional measures on non-strategic goods will follow after a review.

The announcement came after the U.S. government left Korea off a list of countries exempted from its sanctioning of items including chips and electronics made with U.S.-originated technology or software bound for Russia. Countries not included on the list -- such as Korea -- have to get licenses from American export regulation authorities every time they want to export items using American technology or software to Russia.

Korea was the only ally of the United States not included on the list. On the list were 32 countries that already levied sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Japan.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement on Japan’s financial sanctions on Russia, emphasizing “the strong and decisive steps” of the Japanese government and its standing “resolutely together” with the U.S. against Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The Fumio Kishida government froze trade with separatist regions in Ukraine backed by Russia and banned the issuing and trading of Russian bonds in Japan on Wednesday.

In contrast, the Moon Jae-in administration announced its intention to join international sanctions on Thursday, but no specific sanction measures were announced by the ministries of foreign affairs or trade since.

The Trade Ministry said Monday it will be communicating with the U.S. Department of Commerce to try to coordinate its sanctions with the United States.

The Foreign Ministry added that Korea will be joining the international move to block certain Russian banks' access to the SWIFT international messaging system.

The Moon administration also announced $10 million in humanitarian aid for Ukrainians on Monday.

"This assistance will go towards Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country under Russian invasion, and it will be coordinated with the governments of Ukraine and neighboring countries, as well as with international organizations," said the Foreign Ministry.

At least 300,000 Ukrainians had fled to neighboring countries including Poland and Romania as of Sunday, according to the European Commission. The commission put the total number of Ukrainians at risk from the war at up to seven million.

Russia invaded Ukraine by sea, land and air on Thursday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.

Leaders around the world have announced humanitarian assistance for the Ukrainians, including nearly $54 million from the Joe Biden administration in Washington, $100 million from the Kishida administration and 40 million pounds ($53 million) from Boris Johnson administration in Britain.

Johnson announced a measure to allow immediate family members of Ukrainians in Britain to join them, as the European Union announced plans to take in all Ukrainians fleeing the country for the next three years, waiving the usual asylum-seeking process.

The Moon government has not made any announcement on taking in refugees from Ukraine.

The Justice Ministry did announce Monday it will allow the 3,843 Ukrainians staying in Korea on short- and long-term visas to stay even after their visa expires, until the situation in Ukraine improves.

BY ESTHER CHUNG, JEONG JIN-WOO [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]