Russia’s Surprise Visit to South Korea Sparks Tensions: What’s Really Going On?

In protest, the government has summoned the Russian Ambassador to South Korea, Georgy Zinoviev, to the Foreign Ministry. This came after the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized President Yoon as “biased and hateful” for his remarks on North Korea’s “legalization of nuclear preemptive use. Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko traveled to South Korea behind closed doors and met with senior members of the Foreign Ministry.

On March 3, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeong Byeong Won summoned Ambassador Zinoviev to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building to sternly protest against the recent remarks made by Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Deputy Minister Jeong emphasized, “It is deplorable that they have criticized the remarks of a head of state with extremely rude language while ignoring the truth and unconditionally protecting North Korea,” and “This will only worsen the relationship between South Korea and Russia.” Ambassador Zinoviev said, “I have carefully listened to the position of the Korean government,” and promised to report this to his home government immediately, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said, “President Yoon’s claim that North Korea is the only country in the world that has legalized a pre-emptive nuclear attack is blatantly biased,” and, “In a situation where tensions and conflicts in the Korean Peninsula and its surroundings continue to increase due to the shameless policies of the United States, South Korea, Japan, and their allies, (the remarks) look especially abhorrent.”

Zakharova’s harsh comments came on the same day that Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko traveled to South Korea for several meetings with high-level officials. Some are raising questions about the timing of Deputy Minister Rudenko’s visit. The “undiplomatic” situation unfolded when the local Foreign Ministry openly criticized the remarks of a foreign head of state while a high-ranking Russian diplomat was visiting.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Rudenko, Deputy Minister of the Russian Foreign Ministry in charge of Asia-Pacific affairs, arrived in Seoul on the 1st. The next day, he discussed bilateral issues and the Russia-Ukraine war with First Vice Minister Kim Hong Kyun, Vice Minister Jeong Byeong-won, and Kim Geun, head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiations. He completed his visit to Korea and departed for Russia on the morning of the 4th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “We have conveyed our serious position on Russia-North Korea military cooperation and urged Russia to act responsibly,” and “We have asked for Russia’s cooperation to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of our citizens and companies in Russia are not infringed upon.” It was also explained that “Head Kim urged Deputy Minister Rudenko to ‘stop military cooperation with North Korea and fully comply with the obligations under the UN resolution.'”

Given that Rudenko’s visit came on the heels of Zakharova’s harsh comments, some diplomats are calling for a distinction between Russia’s rhetoric aimed at South Korea and its actual actions. Russia may have harshly criticized President Yoon in light of its relations with North Korea but may have been trying to restore ties with South Korea; however, it is meaningful that the two countries held face-to-face consultations during Rudenko’s visit. It is also pointed out that they explained their respective positions rather than reaching a consensus.