FT: Lee Jae-myung’s Pivot Toward Russia Sparks European Concern
European Diplomatic Unease Grows Over Seoul’s Warming Ties with Moscow
European allies are expressing mounting concern over South Korea’s diplomatic and economic pivot toward Russia following the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, according to a report published on October 28 by the British media outlet Financial Times.
The diplomatic friction stems from concrete economic and logistical touchpoints between Seoul and Moscow. The Financial Times highlighted South Korea’s trial runs along the Northern Sea Route as well as reports showing that between July and August, more than 176,000 metric tons of petroleum products were shipped from South Korea to Russia.
European diplomats have questioned whether South Korea remains a reliable partner that shares core economic and security interests with Western allies. An anonymous Seoul-based European diplomat told the Financial Times that South Korea appears to operate under the assumption that the war will not last forever, and desires to resume normal trade with Moscow immediately upon the conflict’s conclusion.
Quiet Diplomatic Rapprochement Behind Closed Doors
Evidence of this thaw includes a closed-door meeting held in November last year between an affiliate organization of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and a Russian think tank. President Lee also appointed Song Young-gil—who previously served as a presidential special envoy to Russia—as a special presidential advisor for peace and diplomacy.
Song’s ties to Moscow are long-standing. In February 2013, while serving as the mayor of Incheon, Song met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin and was later awarded the Russian Order of Friendship.
Reinforcing these diplomatic signals, Russian TASS news agency reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko stated this month that Moscow received South Korea’s message expressing hope for normalized bilateral relations after the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.
Seoul Rejects Accusations While Bilateral Tensions with Kyiv Escalate
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back against the international criticism in a statement provided to the Financial Times. The ministry maintained that assertions of Seoul tilting too far toward Russia are factually incorrect, emphasizing that South Korea participates in and supports global efforts to end the war in Ukraine and restore peace as a responsible member of the international community.
Simultaneously, bilateral ties between Seoul and Kyiv have severely deteriorated. Last month, disclosures revealed that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred from Ukraine to South Korea. President Lee demanded an apology from Kyiv, accusing the Ukrainian government of violating a confidentiality agreement.
In response to the diplomatic rift, the South Korean government summoned its ambassador to Ukraine this month, marking the first such ambassadorial recall since 2008. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the withdrawal of additional embassy staff from Kyiv. Ukraine’s government has publicly denied the allegations, characterizing Seoul’s claims as a diplomatic misunderstanding.
Preparation for 2030 and Unresolved Strategic Questions
The anxiety among European capitals unfolds against a backdrop of wider continental defense preparations. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting wrote in an opinion article on October 24 that the force structures and war economies of Russia and other anti-Western powers could reach a position to launch attacks by 2030, leaving allied nations with roughly a thousand days to build collective combat readiness.
It remains undetermined whether Seoul will adjust its shipping volumes and diplomatic positioning to alleviate pressure from Western partners, or how the current rift between the South Korean and Ukrainian governments will be resolved.