'Normal relations' with Russia impossible while Ukraine war rages, warns Korean foreign minister
Published: 23 Oct. 2024, 18:12
Updated: 23 Oct. 2024, 22:41
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- SEO JI-EUN
- [email protected]
![Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers a keynote speech at the 2024 JoongAng Forum under the theme "The U.S. Election and the ROK-U.S. Alliance," hosted by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/23/e923af1a-6589-4ecc-ba7b-e82e44aef3ab.jpg)
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers a keynote speech at the 2024 JoongAng Forum under the theme "The U.S. Election and the ROK-U.S. Alliance," hosted by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]
South Korea and Russia cannot maintain normal diplomatic relations as long as Moscow continues its illegal invasion of Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter and international law, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said on Wednesday.
Cho also warned that North Korea could face international criminal responsibility depending on the actions of its troops allegedly dispatched to Russia.
"Russia is directly violating UN Security Council resolutions by receiving artillery shells, missiles and even troops from North Korea, threatening the international community. In such circumstances, we cannot maintain normal relations with Russia," Cho said in a keynote speech at the 2024 JoongAng Forum in Seoul, hosted by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, under the theme "The U.S. Election and the ROK-U.S. Alliance."
His remarks come after South Korea’s National Intelligence Service confirmed that around 1,500 North Korean troops had been sent to Russia.
Cho also criticized North Korea for focusing solely on provocations and escalating tensions — such as the destruction of inter-Korean roads and its inflammatory remarks toward South Korea, including warnings of a "horrible disaster" — despite South Korea's efforts to engage in dialogue through the "Aug. 15 Unification Doctrine."
"This behavior stems from North Korea's regime and security insecurities," Cho said, adding that North Korea should be more concerned about the growing desire for freedom among its people rather than an imagined 'hostile policy' from the South.
In managing the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles, Cho stated that the South aims to ensure these assets become a "liability" for the North, not an advantage, while responding to provocations calmly and with restraint.
Cho also called on China to take a "more active role" in addressing North Korea’s nuclear issue and its illegal military cooperation with Russia.
![Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers a keynote speech at the 2024 JoongAng Forum under the theme "The U.S. Election and the ROK-U.S. Alliance ," hosted by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/23/203462a0-31c5-458e-91d2-a61cdaf35115.jpg)
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers a keynote speech at the 2024 JoongAng Forum under the theme "The U.S. Election and the ROK-U.S. Alliance ," hosted by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]
Addressing the growing U.S.-China strategic competition, Cho noted that Seoul's increased national power and global standing make it difficult to maintain a neutral stance, adding that expectations and demands have also grown significantly.
"The long-term success of managing the South Korea-U.S. alliance amid U.S.-China competition will depend on our readiness to endure short-term costs for long-term gains," Cho said. "Insufficient domestic political will could make this effort difficult."
President Yoon Suk Yeol, in a congratulatory message read by National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik during the forum, highlighted upgrading the South Korea-U.S. alliance to a "nuclear-based" one.
"By approving the ROK-U.S. Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula with U.S. President Biden in July, we have strengthened the extended deterrence posture of the alliance centered on the Nuclear Consultative Group launched through the Washington Declaration' last April," Yoon said.
![Government officials, lawmakers and other dignitaries take a commemorative photo at the 2024 JoongAng Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/23/885961b4-61b3-47b0-8280-0c7857d055be.jpg)
Government officials, lawmakers and other dignitaries take a commemorative photo at the 2024 JoongAng Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]
Yoon also noted that South Korea is no longer a "passive beneficiary" of the alliance but has established itself as a "key partner" of the United States, fulfilling its responsibilities and contributing to mutual national interests.
JoongAng Holdings Vice Chairman Hong Jeong-do in his opening speech addressed what impact the upcoming U.S. elections may have on Seoul-Washington relations, adding, “No matter which administration is in place, the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance is no longer a variable but a constant for both countries.”
BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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