South Korea will allow businesspeople to travel to Ukraine for reconstruction projects – media

The South Korean government has decided to allow Korean businesspeople to visit Ukraine for negotiations on participation in reconstruction projects.

As Yonhap reports with reference to its own sources, the decision was made as an exception to the current rules, according to which Korean citizens are prohibited from visiting areas of armed conflicts under the threat of punishment. The South Korean government banned entry into Ukraine since February last year, when Russian troops began the invasion.

Earlier this month, officials said the government of South Korea was planning to allow businesspeople to enter Ukraine for preparing reconstruction projects.

Under the detailed plans, the government will place a cap on the number of traveling businesspeople at no more than 30, with the length of their stay to be limited to two weeks per trip, the sources said. They will be traveling under "exceptional use of passports" under the Korean law, and the foreign ministry is receiving applications from businesspeople starting this month. If the number of applicants exceeds the limit, they will be asked to adjust the time of their departure to keep the number of travelers under the quota.

Many Korean companies are expected to visit the country to explore opportunities in participating in potential reconstruction projects. Construction and infrastructure companies and those in utility and energy sectors have shown interest in the reconstruction.

At the government level, a delegation led by Land Minister Won Hee-ryong plans to visit Ukraine later this month for discussions on the rebuilding project with officials in Kyiv. Separately, the industry ministry is organizing a delegation of its own, consisting of energy and plant companies, with a plan to visit Ukraine in October.

Such efforts are accelerating after President Yoon Suk Yeol made a surprise visit to Ukraine in July and promised to provide a package of security, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance.