KYIV, Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday thanked his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol for a substantial first visit to his war-torn country. "Today, during this first visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine in the history of our relations, we talked about everything that is important for people to lead a normal and safe life," Zelensky said. "Thank you for the meaningful talks. Thank you for your strong support," he said during a joint statement to the press with Yoon. South Korea, the world's ninth-largest arms exporter, has sent humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and has also sold tanks and howitzers to Poland -- a key ally for Kyiv as it battles invading Russian forces. However, it has a long-standing policy of not providing weapons to active conflict zones, which it has stuck to despite repeated requests from the United States, European allies and Ukraine itself for more help. Zelensky thanked Yoon "for your new initiatives to provide financial, technical and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine" without going into detail. The Ukrainian leader also praised the transfer of vehicles and demining equipment that "help us save lives." The two heads of state also discussed cooperation on energy, food and economic issues, as well as efforts to bring Russia to justice and to rebuild Ukraine.