Activists, foreign ministry clash over approval process for Ukraine trip
Rights activists under police investigation over an unauthorized visit to Ukraine in May say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked them to secure a recommendation from the unification minister as part of their application for exceptional passport-use approval — a requirement the ministry says it never imposed. Earlier this month, police notified the activists that they were being investigated on…
The Korea Times reports a clash between rights activists and South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the approval process for a trip to Ukraine in May. The activists, who were later investigated by police for an unauthorized visit, claim that the ministry requested a recommendation from the unification minister as part of their application for exceptional passport-use approval.
However, the ministry insists it never made such a demand. The activists argue that they had sought permission well in advance of their trip, submitting all requested documents, but were unable to obtain the recommendation letter before their scheduled May 7-11 visit. The activists are now facing criminal penalties for entering Ukraine without exceptional passport-use approval, a restriction imposed on South Korean citizens following Ukraine's designation as a travel-ban country in February 2022.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
