{"id":2199175,"date":"2022-10-18T10:06:15","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T10:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199175"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:11:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:11:08","slug":"rejecting-refugees-a-missed-chance-for-seoul-to-stand-up-to-russian-aggression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/10\/rejecting-refugees-a-missed-chance-for-seoul-to-stand-up-to-russian-aggression\/","title":{"rendered":"Rejecting refugees a missed chance for Seoul to stand up to Russian aggression"},"content":{"rendered":"
As Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine has <\/span>stalled<\/span><\/a> and it has found itself on the defensive, Moscow has launched brutal and indiscriminate <\/span>missile barrages<\/span><\/a> on both military and civilian targets, and even South Korea has not been spared from the collateral damage.<\/span><\/p>\n Last week, a Russian missile attack on Kyiv <\/span>damaged<\/span><\/a> a building that houses Samsung Electronics\u2019 Ukraine operations. Though the missile did not kill anyone or directly hit the building, the fact that the strike landed so close to the facility shows that nations cannot afford to ignore Russia\u2019s ability to strike civilian targets and potential <\/span>war crimes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite this, the damage to Samsung\u2019s biggest R&D office in Europe has not resulted in any significant change in Seoul\u2019s stance toward Russia. <\/span>\u00a0<\/b>Instead, as Russians flee the \u201c<\/span>partial mobilization<\/span><\/a>\u201d of reservists to buttress Vladimir Putin\u2019s war efforts, Seoul has chosen to turn away those seeking refuge in South Korea and has generally appeared wary of angering Moscow.<\/span><\/p>\n The government\u2019s tepid response to the Ukraine war continues to represent a missed opportunity for South Korea to more forcefully stand up for freedom and democracy. But as inter-Korean tensions ramp up, Seoul appears unlikely to change its tune on Russia anytime soon.<\/span><\/p>\n THE COSTS OF CONFRONTATION<\/b><\/p>\n Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, South Korea has been <\/span>a reluctant ally<\/span><\/a> of Kyiv. Unlike Germany or India, South Korea does not rely heavily on Russian oil and gas imports, importing only about <\/span>5%<\/span><\/a> of its energy from Russia before the invasion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But international sanctions on Moscow that Seoul has imposed have had substantial costs, making South Korea reluctant to impose further economic penalties. In particular, oil prices have risen over the past several months \u2014 partially due to Russia <\/span>cutting off oil supplies<\/span><\/a> to Western Europe. And oil prices are set to continue to rise following OPEC Plus\u2019s decision to <\/span>cut oil production even further<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n