SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev pushed for repairing relations between Moscow and Seoul during a diplomatic reception Tuesday, pointing to recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin to back his stance.
Hosting the Day of Russia event at the embassy in Seoul, Zinoviev pointed out that while the two nations have shared decades of strong cooperation, their relationship is currently dealing with serious roadblocks.
"Nonetheless, as President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin has emphasized, we continue to count on their restoration," Zinoviev told the crowd.
He argued that South Koreans still hold a deep-rooted interest in Russian culture and a broadly friendly attitude toward the country. This underlying goodwill, he said, will help smooth the way for rebuilding relations once the right conditions are met.
Zinoviev's speech comes during a particularly low point for Moscow and Seoul. Bilateral ties nosedived after Russia attacked Ukraine in early 2022. When South Korea joined the international community in placing economic sanctions on Moscow, Russia fired back by officially labeling South Korea an unfriendly country.
The diplomatic rift widened in 2024 as Moscow tightened its military alignment with Pyongyang. Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership during a summit in Pyongyang, which included mutual defense clauses. South Korea heavily criticized the pact, along with the suspected transfer of North Korean weapons to Russia, calling it a blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Touching on regional security during his speech, Zinoviev said untangling the current issues on the Korean Peninsula will require a group effort. He called for dialing back military tensions and establishing comprehensive security guarantees that actually factor in everyone's concerns.
On the topic of the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions, the ambassador did not back down. He argued that the sanctions meant to squeeze the Russian economy have instead fast-tracked the country's economic independence and technological growth.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
