Captain Lee Geun: Former Korean Navy-SEAL and YouTuber arrives in Ukraine to fight Russians
Many countries have refused to state their stance about the war between the neighboring countries, Russia and Ukraine, given its political implications. Korean celebrities, however, are silently stating their support by donating to help Ukraine and fans from the country are extremely happy this. So far, none of the Korean nationals had reported departing to Ukraine with the motive of providing support to the Ukrainian Army — except one Korean Ex-Navy soldier, Lee Geun.
On March 6, Lee Geun, a former Korean Navy-SEAL who later became a famous YouTuber, directly informed his followers through his SNS about his intentions to help Ukraine. Lee Geun reported that he had decided to voluntarily participate in the Ukrainian war, saying, “I have left the country a while ago, so I'm making this announcement now.” Lee Geun also stated that “If I return alive, then I will take responsibility for everything and receive the punishment I will be given.”
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Back on February 26, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stated that those foreign nationals who wished to help defend Ukraine should come to the country. It was also reported that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense stated that they would provide weapons to the volunteers and place them in official units. At present, most volunteers are European nationals, making Lee Geun and his companions the first few Korean nationals to provide military assistance in the war.
Korean Ex-Navy-SEAL Lee Geun has now risked it all in order to help support Ukraine. It was initially reported that South Korea had issued a Level 4 travel warning to those foreign nationals that left the country for Ukraine. This meant that even visiting the country would be a punishable offense. Lee Geun has not only traveled to Ukraine, promised to participate in the war but has also reported via his personal Instagram that he had safely arrived in Ukraine.
Ex-Navy-SEAL Lee Geun takes accountability for his actions
Lee Geun had initially addressed his act of rebellion stating that he would agreeably face all the punishment in the event of his safe return. If Lee Geun survives the war and returns to South Korea, he will be treated as a criminal and would have to serve one year in prison or pay a fine of 10 million won ($8.1K). In his official statement, Lee Geun talked about being punished and he said, “Fear of punishment cannot stand in the way in this situation. We wish to help Ukraine with the skills, knowledge, and expertise we have.”
The soldier-turned-YouTuber also said, “The ignorant people will not understand security, but under these circumstances, an informal process is required. I and my team had decided to leave the country without problems and arrive in Ukraine, so we did not share our plans with anyone except a few people involved.” Feeling confident about his departure, Lee Geun stated, “I left the country (South Korea) a while ago, so I'm making this announcement now.”
Not only this, but, Lee Geun also added, “My team members were selected by myself, and if I return alive, then I will take responsibility for everything and receive the punishment I will be given.” He concluded his statement by saying, “As the first Korean volunteers, we will raise our status on behalf of our country.”