Hyundai Motor (005380) halted all operations at its St. Petersburg plant after Western sanctions made business untenable following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022. As prospects for resuming operations faded, the automaker sold the plant and left the Russian market. Samsung Electronics (005930) and LG Electronics (066570) have also suspended their Russian operations amid deteriorating relations between Seoul and Moscow. Russia was South Korea's 10th-largest trading partner as recently as 2020, with close economic ties, but economic cooperation and friendship exchanges have been effectively frozen since the war began.
Georgy Zinoviev, Russia's ambassador to South Korea, said in a written interview with the Seoul Economic Daily on the 15th that the two countries could normalize relations "through a step-by-step approach of carrying out practical measures one at a time that benefit both sides, even if they are not large in scale." He cited the resumption of direct flights between the two countries as an example of such a practical measure. Direct air links between South Korea and Russia were severed after the war broke out in February 2022. "The Ukraine issue has had a negative impact on Russia-South Korea relations, and cooperation between the two countries has narrowed in all areas as South Korea joined the West's sanctions against Russia," he said. When Seoul joined the sanctions shortly after the war began, Moscow designated South Korea an unfriendly country and moved to apply pressure. South Korea later added unilateral sanctions covering more than 1,400 items as military cooperation between Russia and North Korea deepened. Long-term projects pursued in the past, including development of Russia's Far East and cooperation in shipbuilding and energy, have all been shelved.
Ties have not been severed entirely, however. "Despite the many difficulties, Russia and South Korea are continuing to cooperate in culture and the humanities as well as science and education," Zinoviev said, adding that such cooperation "is taking place mainly at the non-governmental level." He also said he had noted "that the negative trend toward Russia that formed under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has at least not worsened further, and that some issues are being reconsidered." Russia appears to classify South Korea as the friendliest among the countries it deems unfriendly, taking into account that Seoul has not directly supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine.
Issues such as the sanctions on Russia are unlikely to be resolved before the war ends. North Korea sent more than 13,000 troops to Russia in 2024, and the possibility of additional deployments has recently been raised. That is why South Korea is expected to find it difficult to lift its unilateral sanctions on its own. Seoul also faces added constraints because South Korean companies could face secondary sanctions if the country does not take part in the international sanctions regime.
On relations between Russia and North Korea, the ambassador described them as based on international law and the mutual interests of the two countries. The two sides have maintained a close alignment since the Ukraine war began. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership at a Pyongyang summit in June 2024, restoring their military alliance, and have since elevated the relationship to the level of blood allies by exchanging military and economic support. In a reply on the 9th of this month to Putin's congratulatory message marking the anniversary of North Korea's founding, Kim said he was "firmly convinced of Russia's victory in today's sacred war to defend the security of the country and international justice," and pledged "unwavering support for you, dear comrade, and for the fraternal Russian people." Zinoviev said the relationship "lies in defending mutual sovereignty and ensuring the prosperity of the peoples of both countries, and it also contributes to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world."
On dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, he said the U.S. attitude was the decisive factor. "For North Korea to fully normalize relations with the United States and to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the root causes that gave rise to the region's problems must first be addressed," he said. The argument mirrors North Korea's position and is read as pointing to the United States as the source of threats to security on the peninsula. He identified as "the most critical issue in particular the fact that the United States has long pursued a systematic hostile policy toward North Korea and is not prepared to recognize North Korea as an equal partner with the right to develop freely." He added that "North Korea's legitimate security concerns must be addressed within the framework of a comprehensive political and diplomatic process, and Russia has always supported this."
