The South Korean Foreign Ministry has summoned Russian diplomats to lodge complaints regarding Moscow’s criticism of President Yoon Suk-yul’s statements about North Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear arsenal.
According to the Ministry, Chung Eui-yong, the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, summoned Russian Ambassador Georgiy Zuev on Saturday to convey that Moscow’s criticism of the President’s statements would have a negative impact on the bilateral relations.
The Ministry’s statement mentioned that “Chung expressed deep regret over Russia’s disregard for the truth and protection of North Korea unconditionally, while criticizing the President’s remarks in extremely harsh language, noting that this will only worsen Russo-Korean relations.”
Yoon had stated in a meeting last Wednesday with defense and security officials that “the North Korean regime does anything to maintain its totalitarian genealogy while blatantly ignoring international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions through arms trade with Russia.”
The next day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Yoon’s statements as “blatantly biased”, telling reporters that the remarks “seem particularly egregious in light of the increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to the brazen policy pursued by the United States and its allies, including South Korea and Japan.”
The South Korean Foreign Ministry today stated that the Deputy Minister met his Russian counterpart, Andrei Rudenko, on Friday and conveyed Seoul’s firm stance on military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. The Ministry noted that Kim Jung, Seoul’s nuclear envoy, also met with Rudenko. The statement highlighted that Chung and Rudenko also discussed issues including the Russian war in Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, stated that “exchange of views” took place during Rudenko’s meetings in Seoul with Chung and other officials. The Russian side expressed serious concerns over the sharp escalation of tension in the subregion.
The statement also clearly indicated that the primary source of tension is Washington’s irresponsible provocative policy, which, for its own geopolitical purposes, seeks to encourage allies in the region to implement their aggressive plans, including in the military field.
Washington and its allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin has strengthened relations with Pyongyang since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States and its allies criticized what they say are large shipments of North Korean missiles to Russia to assist in its military efforts.
