South Korea’s next president could reset Russia relations amid global shifts



Analysis South Korea’s next president could reset Russia relations amid global shifts Economic pragmatism could replace Yoon’s ideological diplomacy as Seoul navigates energy, trade and security concerns John LeeFebruary 5, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung meets with party officials on Feb. 5, 2025; Russian leader Vladimir Putin meets with members of his security council \| Images: Democratic Party of Korea and Russian Presidential Executive Office. Edited by Korea Pro. South Korea’s relationship with Russia, both diplomatically and economically, has reached its lowest point since the Cold War. Under President Yoon Suk-yeol, Seoul aligned closely with Western-led sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further exacerbating tensions as Moscow deepened military cooperation with North Korea. However, two major geopolitical shifts are poised to reshape South Korea’s foreign policy: Yoon’s anticipated removal from office followed by main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung’s likely ascent to the presidency, and the evolving trajectory of the Ukraine war under the Donald Trump administration. A post-Yoon administration under Lee would likely shift South Korea’s © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump 02Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls 03North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy 04South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus 05AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline 06South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics 07Preschool test ban forces South Korea’s English hagwons to rethink placement 08Lee Jae Myung’s Wall Street pitch tests South Korea’s capital market credibility

Analysis

South Korea’s next president could reset Russia relations amid global shifts

Economic pragmatism could replace Yoon’s ideological diplomacy as Seoul navigates energy, trade and security concerns

John LeeFebruary 5, 2025

South Korea’s next president could reset Russia relations amid global shifts

Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung meets with party officials on Feb. 5, 2025; Russian leader Vladimir Putin meets with members of his security council | Images: Democratic Party of Korea and Russian Presidential Executive Office. Edited by Korea Pro.

South Korea’s relationship with Russia, both diplomatically and economically, has reached its lowest point since the Cold War. Under President Yoon Suk-yeol, Seoul aligned closely with Western-led sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, further exacerbating tensions as Moscow deepened military cooperation with North Korea.

However, two major geopolitical shifts are poised to reshape South Korea’s foreign policy: Yoon’s anticipated removal from office followed by main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung’s likely ascent to the presidency, and the evolving trajectory of the Ukraine war under the Donald Trump administration.

A post-Yoon administration under Lee would likely shift South Korea’s

South Korea’s next president could reset Russia relations amid global shifts

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John Lee