President Lee Jae-myung welcomed the European Union's decision to exempt Korea from related sanctions so that it can import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Sakhalin-II project, he said on the 25th.
Lee, who is visiting San Francisco in the United States, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that day: "I received the welcome news that our companies have been recognized as an exception to the sanctions targets in connection with the EU's sanctions on Russian LNG." He added, "I expect it will be of great help to the daily lives of our citizens and to our economy."
On the 23rd, the EU adopted its "21st package of sanctions against Russia," which included an exemption provision allowing Korea to import LNG produced from Russia's Sakhalin-II project by exempting related sanctions until March 2028.
Lee also highlighted his efforts to communicate with EU leaders, saying, "At the meeting with EU leaders last June, I explained that an exceptional allowance was necessary for our energy security, and I asked for their active attention." He then pledged, "Going forward, I will do my best to protect the lives of the people and the national interest through a seamless response."
The government said the outcome resulted from significant progress in related discussions between the two sides at the Korea-EU summit held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 10th of last month, where the issue of importing Russian LNG rose as a key economic and trade agenda item.
Earlier, the government had requested that the EU apply an exemption to the related sanctions to prevent disruptions to LNG supply, as Korea Gas Corporation had agreed through a long-term contract with Russia's Sakhalin-II project to bring in 1.5 million tons of LNG annually to Korea from April 2008 to March 2028.
