The war in Ukraine has become a major talking point in South Korea’s presidential election in recent days, as the leading candidates have used a televised debate and social media to draw parallels between the war in Eastern Europe and the possibility of conflict with North Korea.

Conservative Yoon Suk-yeol and progressive Lee Jae-myung have both accused each other of “mocking” Ukraine in the process: Yoon said the Russian invasion is a “sad” result of Ukraine “disarming itself and trusting a piece of paper” without strong alliances, while Lee said diplomacy by an inexperienced politician led