Seoul: South Korea has taken a diplomatic step by summoning Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to protest Moscow’s criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s comments on North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won conveyed South Korea’s concerns, emphasizing that Russia’s strong reaction could strain the relationship between the two nations.
In a statement, South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed regret that Russia chose to unconditionally defend North Korea while using extremely rude language to criticize President Yoon’s remarks. The ministry asserted that such actions would only further complicate the bilateral relations.
President Yoon had stated during a meeting with defense and security officials that North Korea, in its pursuit of maintaining a hereditary totalitarian regime, was violating international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions by engaging in arms trade with Russia.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova labeled Yoon’s comments as “blatantly biased” and highlighted the heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, attributing them to the policies of the United States and its allies, including South Korea and Japan.
South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung, in a meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, reiterated the country’s concerns regarding military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. The statement also mentioned that Seoul’s nuclear envoy, Kim Gunn, discussed these issues with Rudenko.
The talks between Chung and Rudenko covered various topics, including Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
