Czech embassy exhibit raises Korean awareness of the Ukraine war

With the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Czechia is hosting exhibitions at its embassies around the world to show its unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine.

Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea Ivan Jančárek speaks to the Korea JoongAng Daily during an interview at the Czech Center Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Monday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

With the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Czechia is hosting exhibitions at its embassies around the world to show its unwavering support for and solidarity with Ukraine.

On the outer walls of the Czech Center Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, photographs and captions introduce Czechia’s efforts to support Ukraine, including training soldiers, providing medical care and health infrastructure, and supplying 40 cogeneration units to 20 Ukrainian cities.

The exhibition, hosted by the Czech Embassy in Seoul, began last week and aims to raise the Korean public's awareness of the war in Ukraine.

“It is most important to remember who the aggressor and who the victim are in this war,” said Ivan Jančárek, ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea, in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Monday.

Jančárek outlined the Czech-led initiative to supply Ukraine with ammunition from outside the European Union, ways for the Visegrad Four countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) to continue support for Ukraine, and Korea’s role in European security. He further urged the Korean public to engage more in the Ukraine issue.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A passerby examines photographs and captions of the exhibition on the Ukraine war held by the Czech Embassy outside of the Czech Center Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Monday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Q: Last week, the Korean Foreign Ministry reiterated Korea’s position that it would not provide weapons to Ukraine. What are your thoughts on this?

A: I think it’s a decision for every country to make, how it will react to the issue. But on the other hand, one can see that Ukraine is really not engaging in any aggressive war. It is a defensive war, and it is on Ukraine’s territory. For Czechia, there was never a question as to whether we were going to supply Ukraine with weapons, especially given our own historical experience. First of all, in 1938, there was the so-called Munich Agreement regarding the former Czechoslovakia, in which we lost territory to Nazi Germany. The second experience was in 1968 with the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. So, in that sense, with Czechia's experiences, we are trying to tell other nations that appeasement doesn’t work. It is not about negotiations. You have to stand up for your rights.

Please tell us about the planning of the exhibition and what the public should check out. The exhibition is not just our embassy’s project. We are [hosting it] in many countries, especially countries outside of Europe. Because we think what is really important is informing the public about the fight for Ukraine’s freedom and its importance for global stability. That is why our Foreign Ministry decided to reach out to the public of different countries, including Korea, to tell the people what Czechia is doing for Ukraine and how we cooperate on these matters. Sending a message to the Korean people that the freedom and independence of Ukraine really matters was important.

The outdoor exhibition is about how Czechia is providing Ukraine with electricity, medical support and health care infrastructure. Could you tell us in detail about these activities? This exhibition is more about the civilian side of our cooperation with Ukraine, and it’s very important as well because we see the need to help Ukraine in different areas besides supplying ammunition and weapons. We focused mainly on three areas: mobile housing, the health sector and the energy sector. Czech director for defense policy and strategy Jan Jires told Bloomberg last Friday that Ukraine is set to receive the first batch of ammunition under the Czech-led initiative to purchase artillery shells from outside the EU. Can you tell us more about this initiative? This initiative comes from the announcement of our President Petr Pavel during the Munich Security Conference at the beginning of February this year, where we said that Czechia, through contacts with countries outside the European Union, could deliver more than 800,000 ammunition shells of 155 and 122-millimeter caliber. One of the biggest issues on the Ukrainian front is the lack of ammunition. It’s not only financed by us. It’s also financed by other countries, especially European Union nations and members of NATO.

At last week's Visegrad Four prime ministers' meeting, there were apparent divisions between the Czech and Polish perspective and the Hungarian and Slovak perspective on Ukraine. What is needed for the Visegrad Four to reach a stronger consensus? The Visegrad Four is a long-term cooperative body that has continued for more than 30 years, and it’s very important because the four nations are neighbors and, I would say, in the same boat. But cooperation always has ups and downs as some governments cannot share the same views on some issues. We are trying to find out areas where we can cooperate — on the issue of Ukraine, for the time being, we have different opinions. My government and the Polish government are more about the unconditional support of Ukraine and fighting against Russian aggression. Our two neighbors also support the initiatives of NATO and the EU.

What do you think Korea’s role in European security is? A very interesting question, and I think this is something Korea has to answer for itself, but European security is a global issue and — keeping in mind that your neighbor to the north is supplying Russia with ammunition — Korea is not uninvolved. Korea is very much interested in intensifying its relations and cooperation with NATO and the EU, and that is why European security is important to Korea because we share the same values, such as democracy and multilateralism. Korea is doing a lot right now — President Yoon Suk Yeol visiting Ukraine was one aspect of that — but there is always more one can do.

What could the Korean government do to increase the Korean public's interest in the Ukraine war? What is important is to know what is happening now in Ukraine and to grasp that it does affect the security situation here on the Korean Peninsula. You have to be aware of that and be quite clear on who the aggressor — Russia — and who the victim — Ukraine — are.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]