South Korea calls Russia ‘strategic partner’ in bid to maintain ties amid Ukraine tensions
- Seoul’s ‘unspoken’ message to Moscow is that it won’t supply lethal weapons to Ukraine and doesn’t want to escalate tensions, analysts say
![South Korean self-propelled howitzers during live-fire drills at an undisclosed island near the inter-Korean border in June. Photo: Handout / South Korean Defence Ministry / AFP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/15/7a007931-eee3-4e75-a139-eb7489b45bb5_2b9eca6b.jpg?itok=_PL0rXke&v=1721054571)
Analysts say South Korea is driven by a pragmatic calculus that prioritises preserving its diplomatic rapport with Russia, given Moscow’s critical role in the security landscape of the Korean peninsula, which shares a border with Russia’s far eastern region.
“Russia is a strategic partner that can play an important role in the Korean peninsula issue, and our security and economic interests are at stake,” Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said on Saturday during a television interview.
“The South Korean government should also protect Koreans’ lives and businesses in Russia and, for this reason, communication at a necessary level with Moscow is absolutely required.”
However, the foreign minister noted that it would be impossible to restore bilateral ties to pre-war levels “as long as the war in Ukraine rages and Russo-North Korean military cooperation continues”.
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