Who will be more helpful to Russia?

YOO JEE-HYE
The author is the head of the diplomatic and security news team of the JoongAng Ilbo.

I met with the new Russian ambassador to Korea, Georgi Zinoviev, on Jan. 19. He called South Korea an “unfriendly nation” and North Korea a “friendly nation.”

As a journalist from an “unfriendly country,” I conducted an interview nervously. In fact, the questions I’d prepared were unfriendly from the start. Ambassador Zinoviev was a veteran diplomat conveying the position of Russia faithfully and raising a completely different view of sensitive questions.

When asked about the most sensitive weapons trade between North Korea and Russia, the ambassador reaffirmed the existing position that “we are developing relations with North Korea while considering international obligations.” He also pointed out that such allegations “create additional challenges in Russia-Korea relations and aim to increase anxiety among the Korean people.” He added, “Please don’t just read Western media.”

Regarding foreign media reports that South Korea indirectly provides most shells to Ukraine, he said, “We believe the Korean government’s official position (that it does not provide weapons of destruction to Ukraine) and we would not make such reports a major problem between the two countries.”

The comment was significant. Though he meant to say that Russia respects its relationship with Korea, he sounded like he was saying that “Korea should believe the Russian government’s position rather than media reports on the North Korea-Russia arms trade.”

At the same time, Ambassador Zinoviev did not forget to say, “Korea may look at the situation differently, and I respect the Korean people’s position.”

Some Koreans felt fear of a “simulated attack” after reading, in foreign media reports, that parts with Korean language were found in the remains of missiles attacking Ukraine. While many Koreans have grown insensitive, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un frequently fires missiles at all ranges whenever he gets a chance, test launches are different from weapons being used in an actual war. Kim gets to verify the killing power of various weapons targeting South Korea in actual battles and use it as a chance to enhance their capability to avoid interceptions without spending any money.

Ambassador Zinoviev said he was an optimist, adding, “I expect there will be many opportunities to develop bilateral relations.” He said, “I hope that Korea will be the first case of returning to a friendly country among Russia’s unfriendly countries.” While I welcome his words, it is a distant story unless the anxiety of South Korean people is resolved.

I had another question to ask, but I couldn’t, because I ran out of time. The question was “Who will be more helpful to Russia’s prosperity in the future — South Korea, an unfriendly country to Russia, or North Korea, a friendly country to Russia?” I’m sure the veteran diplomat would surely have avoided answering and just said, “I can’t answer a hypothetical question.”