March 08, 2022, 03:27 PM
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A South Korean former Navy Seal and YouTuber Ken Rhee has gone to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
He volunteered to join the foreign legion and fight alongside the Ukrainians despite South Korea government's travel ban to Ukraine.
Will take responsibility if he lives
The 37-year-old said on Instagram on March 7 that he and a few others had initially considered leaving for Ukraine "through official procedures".
But they felt "strong opposition" from their government and that there was "some friction" for ignoring Korea's travel ban to Ukraine that would result in him "being treated as a criminal" upon his return.
"But punishment cannot stand still in this situation without helping Ukraine with the skills, knowledge, and expertise we have," he added in his post that shared a photo of the backs of three men.
He also wrote: "If I return alive, then I will take responsibility for everything and receive the punishment I'm given."
Penalty for going to Ukraine
Korea's Foreign Ministry said on the day Rhee departed for Ukraine that it was aware that "Koreans including Ken Rhee" went to join the Ukrainian volunteer army.
"To protect the lives and safety of citizens, as of Feb. 13, the government has issued a Level 4 travel warning throughout Ukraine and has banned Korean citizens from traveling to Ukraine," it said.
The Korean government said those who go to Ukraine without authorisation could be jailed for up to one year and fined up to 10 million won (S$11,000).
They would also be required to return their Korean passports and could face challenges applying for a replacement.
Photos in war zone
Rhee subsequently posted in response to his government's statement saying that he has reached Ukraine safely: "Rather than waste time seeking to invalidate our passports, think about how you can support."
He also shared photos of him in military gear sitting next to a dog.
"During the Korean War, the world helped Korea," he said.
"Now, we will help Ukraine. We cannot just stand by and watch innocent people get hurt and die."
YouTube personality
Rhee became more popular relatively recently in 2020 after starring in a YouTube series, Fake Men that saw him train celebrity contestants to complete training designed for navy's elite forces.
Rhee was in South Korea's and United States' Seal team previously.
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