{"id":2200902,"date":"2023-05-04T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T23:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200902"},"modified":"2023-05-03T19:09:56","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T10:09:56","slug":"south-koreas-diplomatic-reshuffle-amid-strained-russia-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/south-koreas-diplomatic-reshuffle-amid-strained-russia-relations\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s diplomatic reshuffle amid strained Russia relations"},"content":{"rendered":"
Second Vice Foreign Minister <\/span>Lee Do-hoon<\/span><\/a> is set to become South Korea\u2019s next ambassador to Russia, succeeding Chang Ho-jin, who currently serves as the first vice foreign minister. This reshuffle comes as President Yoon Suk-yeol aims to address South Korea\u2019s relations with Russia, which have deteriorated since Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. Yoon has been more vocal than his predecessor, and he has aligned more overtly with the U.S. in its rivalry with Russia and China.<\/span><\/p>\n Prior to his visit to the U.S., Yoon <\/span>mentioned<\/span><\/a> the possibility of South Korea providing Ukraine with more than humanitarian aid in the event of a \u201clarge-scale attack on civilians, massacre, or serious violation of the laws of war.\u201d Russia has warned that any provision of weapons to Ukraine would make Seoul a party to the conflict. Yoon stated that Seoul\u2019s decision to send weapons to Ukraine depends on Moscow\u2019s actions.<\/span><\/p>\n Dear valued readers,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n At KOREA PRO, our goal is to deliver captivating and informative content. Your feedback is crucial to us, and we highly value any recommendations you may have for enhancing our content. We kindly invite you to share your thoughts by participating in our brief <\/span><\/i>5-minute survey<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n KOREA PRO Briefing:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Explore South Korea’s preferred weapons and arms export strategies with us. Join Ankit Panda and Karl Friedhoff as they investigate the prospects and obstacles confronting the ROK defense sector, while analyzing the impact of innovative technologies in an evolving geopolitical landscape. Click <\/span><\/i>here<\/span><\/i><\/a> to register!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n Russia labeled South Korea as an unfriendly country after it joined international sanctions against Moscow last year. Relations further deteriorated after Yoon\u2019s <\/span>comments<\/span><\/a> regarding the potential arming of Ukraine. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy secretary of Russia\u2019s security council, <\/span>insinuated<\/span><\/a> that Moscow might provide modern Russian weapons to Pyongyang. While the feasibility of such a threat remains uncertain, North Korea has recently <\/span>expressed<\/span><\/a> its intention to strengthen ties with Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n