From the perspective of this year, the most important event between Korea & Ukraine was 8th ROK-Ukraine Policy Consultations held at the end of May in Seoul while new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been inaugurated on May 20 in a similar vein.

Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yoon Soon-gu who joined Ukraine 28th Independence anniversary reception held at JW Mariott Dongdaemun on Sep. 17th evening, was Korean side's counterpart.

Through both joint consultative meetings, Yoon said: "The two sides shared the view that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, the two countries have advanced their close relations; and took note of steadily ongoing bilateral consultations in various areas, including the meetings of the Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in 2017 and the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in 2018 as well as the Policy Consultations in 2019, the first in seven years since 2012."

According to MOFAT, the two sides agreed to continue efforts to further deepen and expand bilateral substantive cooperation in various areas with high potential for cooperation, including trade, investment, science, technology and agriculture, on the basis of the mutually complementary industrial and trade structures of the two countries.

While the 8th ROK-Ukraine Policy Consultations are seen to have served as an opportunity for the ROK to promote its friendly and cooperative ties with Ukraine, the world’s 4th-largest grain exporter that is situated at a strategically important location connecting Europe and Asia; and to reinforce the ROK’s foundation for diplomatic diversification, Deputy Minister Kyslytsya explained the position of new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had been inaugurated on May 20, regarding the internal situation and foreign policy of Ukraine and agreed to step up cooperation on international stages, including the United Nations, according to MOFAT as well.

In his speech to the guests, Ambassador of Ukraine Olexander Horin mentioned the results of the recent presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine, which showed the unprecedented level of population support of the current President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the presidential party "Servant of the People", which received an absolute majority in the Verkhovna Rada, according to the Embassy of Ukraine.

Horin also noted the growth of trade turnover between Ukraine and Korea by 21% in 2018, which, along with the important role on the Ukrainian market of the leading Korean companies Hyundai Motors and Samsung Electronics, as well as this year's POSCO International projects in Mykolaiv (investments to the Grain Terminal) and GS Engineering & Construction (Solar Energy), as well as small and medium-sized business initiatives to increase bilateral economic relations.

At the same time, the humanitarian sphere requires positive developments like symmetrical visa-free regime for Ukrainian tourists to visit Korea, Ukraine envoy pointed out.

On the occasion of the Independence day of Ukraine, Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said by his message: "Ukrainian people amid all the hardships faced during the twentieth century were able to withstand and gain desirable independence in 1991. But the path of independence turned to be tough - Ukraine is undergoing a process of complicated transformations."

Ukrainians made their choice in favor of development rather than imitation back in 2014, when they realized the key strategic priorities of national success, namely, political and economic freedoms, drastic internal reforms and the irreversibility of Euro-Atlantic integration. Guided by these priorities the Government has worked to introduce significant changes in literally every sphere of public and state life. It is of unparalleled importance to further continue these changes, stressed the Prime Minister.