Yesterday, February 25th, a meaningful MOU signing ceremony for the establishment of the 'Interregional Smart Village Platform (ISVP)' was held at the Hanyang University Hyundai Motor Group Center for Creative Design and Engineering. It was a moment where a new chapter in the history of cooperation for Ukraine’s reconstruction was written.
If President Park Chung-hee’s proclamation of an industrial city on February 3, 1962, marked the beginning of South Korea’s industrialization, then February 25, 2026, will be recorded as '26225'—the new starting point for Ukraine’s recovery.
A total of 193 institutions from 8 countries, including 42 from Korea, 47 from Ukraine, and 5 from Moldova, participated in this platform. Even before the official joining of Polish institutions, it has already secured a formidable lineup. As intentions to participate continue to pour in from local entities, the scale is expected to grow even further.
ISVP is not merely a slogan. It includes the establishment of smart agriculture and climate response models, integrated package projects for energy, housing, and job creation, and regional reconstruction and self-reliance support for refugees, widows, veterans, and youth. This project is also a strategic opportunity for the Republic of Korea to share its accumulated experience in industrialization and rural innovation with the world.
At the center of this entire journey is former Ambassador to Ukraine Lee Yang-goo, the foremost expert who has mastered both the Russian and Ukrainian contexts. As a field-oriented leader and recipient of the 'Diplomat of the Year' award, he is serving as a deeply trusted bridge between the two nations. It is heartbreaking to witness the tragedy caused by a war lasting over four years. I earnestly hope for news of the war’s end soon and pray that this ISVP model becomes a seed of peace and restoration not only in Ukraine but across all of Eurasia.
[Keynote Speech by Ambassador Lee Yang-goo]
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we are not merely signing an MOU. We are not just launching a platform. We are standing at a place where we choose the direction of history.
A thousand years ago, the Scythians flourished across Eurasia, leaving behind a brilliant civilization. Their symbol was the golden crown. The golden crowns discovered on this planet exist in Korea, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe. This is a symbol showing that our continent has been connected since ancient times. History is not about disconnection; it is about connection. Today, we restart that connection as a 21st-century civilizational project.
Last October, APEC was held in Gyeongju. Its spirit was connection, cooperation, and prosperity. On October 21, 2025, I met with Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongsangbuk-do and agreed to cooperate with the Odesa region of Ukraine. Subsequently, on February 7, 2026, a sisterhood agreement was signed in Warsaw. Last March, a Ukrainian delegation of 45 people visited Korea, and in just two weeks, 215 institutions from 8 countries joined this platform. This is no coincidence. This is a demand of the times.
In 1962, the Republic of Korea was a country that could not even manufacture a proper bicycle. Yet, that country pushed forward with heavy and chemical industrial complexes. Many called it "reckless." However, that reckless challenge created the Ulsan of today and the Republic of Korea of today. And when we speak of Ulsan, we think of Chairman Chung Ju-yung.
Chairman Chung Ju-yung said: "The thing to fear most is excuses. It is failing to start while waiting for perfection. The most important thing is speed. Act, execute, and fix as you go." Speed and execution built Korea’s industrialization. Perhaps you and I in this room are also "reckless" people.
To conceive and launch a platform involving 215 institutions from 8 countries in just two weeks was itself an adventure and a challenge. But that challenge has become a reality. History begins not with perfect conditions, but with decisions and actions. We are not just talking about Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.
Today’s world is caught in US-China strategic competition, geopolitical tensions, and energy and food crises. Ukraine is both a site of war and a testing ground for the future order. If Ukraine creates a sustainable model for post-war recovery and that model spreads to Europe and Eurasia, it will be the most strategic and preemptive solution for preventing conflict.
We choose a civilizational response rather than a military one. Execution has already begun. Seed money has been secured. Through Feasibility Studies, we will link this with Government, EU, UN, and PPP (Public-Private Partnership) structures. This is not a declaration; it is execution.
If "6223" (February 3, 1962) changed the history of the Republic of Korea, I hope today, "2026225" (February 25, 2026), becomes the turning point that changes the history of Ukraine, Europe, and Eurasia. If the Scythian civilization was symbolized by the golden crown, today we are planting the seeds of a new civilization. That civilization will be built upon the five Ps of the SDGs:
Peace
Prosperity
People
Planet
Partnership
Vision without action is a daydream. But action without vision is a nightmare.
Today, we have chosen both vision and action simultaneously. Perhaps one day, history will record it like this:
"On that day, a group of reckless people gathered and began a new Eurasian civilization."
Thank you.
(Ambassador Lee Yang-goo)
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