SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea said on Thursday it would join in unspecified multilateral economic sanctions on Russia in response to its military operations in Ukraine, but is not considering adopting unilateral measures.
Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.
President Moon Jae-in said at a National Security Council meeting that Ukraine’s sovereignty, territory, and independence must be respected, press secretary Park Soo-hyun told a briefing.
South Korea will support international efforts to restrain armed aggression and seek a peaceful resolution, including by joining in economic sanctions, Park quoted Moon as saying.
A foreign ministry official who later briefed reporters mentioned export controls as part of possible international sanctions.
“Of course some countries are considering unilateral sanctions including financial measures but we are not considering that.”
Discussions are under way to finalise details, the official added.
(Reporting by Josh Smith and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Tom Hogue, Simon Cameron-Moore and Tomasz Janowski)
