SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik had two rare encounters in Beijing on Wednesday, a brief greeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a short conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. One ended with little more than a nod, the other touched upon inter-Korean relations.
According to Woo's office, the encounter with Kim took place in a waiting room ahead of China's "Victory Day" military parade at Tiananmen Square. Woo greeted Kim by saying, "It's been seven years since we last met [in 2018]," to which Kim simply replied, "Yes." No further conversation followed, and Woo was seated far from Kim during the parade.
Both Woo and Kim were in Beijing to attend the parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was the first direct contact between a senior South Korean official and Kim since President Lee Jae Myung took office.
The two had previously met during the 2018 inter-Korean summit. As floor leader of the Democratic Party in 2018, Woo attended a welcome banquet in Pyongyang. At the time, he publicly shared that his family had been divided across the border, with two sisters living in North Korea.
Woo also met Putin at a reception following the parade. Woo's office said he asked Putin to pay attention to the 130 South Korean companies operating in Russia. Putin, in return, expressed interest in inter-Korean affairs and even asked Woo what message he should deliver to Kim at a North Korea-Russia summit, which took place later that day.
The Kremlin, however, said the two leaders "may have exchanged a handshake and brief greeting," though there was "no separate meeting."
Experts said Woo's exchanges with Putin highlight shifting dynamics in Seoul's foreign policy and Moscow's renewed ambitions. Lee Sin-uck, a research professor at Wonkwang University, said ties between South Korea and Russia had cooled under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, but the Lee administration is now seeking a more pragmatic course in diplomacy.
Lee interpreted Putin's comments as part of Moscow's bid to reassert influence on the Korean Peninsula. He said Russia had been sidelined from key issues such as North Korea's nuclear program after the collapse of the Soviet Union. "With the war in Ukraine, Russia has forged what it calls a 'blood alliance' with Pyongyang and is now openly positioning itself as an international mediator," he said.
Inter-Korean relations have been stalled since the 2019 Hanoi summit. North Korea has cut all official communication channels and labeled the South a "hostile state." By contrast, since taking office in June, Lee has pursued a conciliatory stance, ending propaganda broadcasts at the border, removing loudspeakers, and striking a softer tone in his speech marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.
reporter
Cheon Soram
cheons@ajupress.com
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