On October 20, 2026, a meeting took place in the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea between the Head of the East Asian Office of the LDLU, Mariia Makarovych, and MP Park Choong-kwon, a representative of the center-right opposition People Power Party (PPP).
The meeting was facilitated by Jang Se-yul, head of the human rights organization Gyeore-eol Nation United.
During the conversation, the parties discussed countering the DPRK in the context of its support for Russian aggression against Ukraine. Special attention was given to expanding cooperation in the protection of human rights, humanitarian support for North Korean defectors, as well as measures for the international advocacy of the mutual interests of Ukraine and the Republic of Korea.
Mariia Makarovych thanked Mr. Park for his unwavering support of Ukraine amid the increasingly complex domestic political situation in South Korea and expressed hope for the further development of communication between the LDLU team and the People Power Party.
Park Choong-kwon is one of the youngest members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, a North Korean defector, and a former researcher of ballistic missile materials. In 2009, he made a risky escape from the DPRK through the territory of the PRC. After earning a Ph.D. at Seoul National University and building a career at Hyundai Steel, Mr. Park was elected to parliament in the 2024 elections. Since the summer of 2026, he has served as the deputy floor leader of the PPP parliamentary faction and is a member of the special party committee dealing with criminal proceedings against the incumbent President Lee Jae-myung.
