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South Korea mulls diplomatic ties with Syria after overthrow of North's longtime ally Assad

Published: 11 Feb. 2025, 18:54 Updated: 11 Feb. 2025, 18:58

SEO JI-EUN
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Kim Eun-jeong, left, director general of the South Korean Foreign Ministry's African and Middle Eastern Bureau, meets with Asaad al-Shaibani, the Syrian Foreign Minister, in Damascus, Syria on Feb. 7. [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

The South Korean government is "actively reviewing" the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Syria, the only United Nations member state with which Seoul has yet to formalize ties, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.

The move, if realized, could further isolate North Korea, a longtime ally of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

"As we confirmed Syria’s interim government's willingness to establish ties, we will begin a full-scale review of the diplomatic process," a high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said in a closed-door briefing Tuesday in Seoul. "The conditions for establishing diplomatic ties are becoming increasingly favorable."

Discussions on diplomatic ties between South Korea and Syria have gained momentum following the collapse of Assad’s dictatorship in late 2024.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, ousted Assad’s dictatorship in December and assumed power as interim president.

Kim Eun-jeong, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's African Middle Eastern Bureau, visited Damascus from Feb. 5 to 7, marking the first official visit by a South Korean delegation to Syria in 22 years.

During the visit, Kim met with Asaad Al-Shaibani, Syria’s interim foreign minister, and other officials to discuss potential diplomatic engagement.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Al-Shaibani expressed a strong interest in establishing ties with South Korea, saying that "the new Syria" hopes to build a "fresh bilateral relationship" with South Korea.

During the talks, South Korean officials "emphasized Seoul’s longstanding support for the Syrian people’s journey toward freedom and democracy" and conveyed expectations for an "inclusive political transition." Seoul also expressed willingness to provide humanitarian aid and explore potential economic cooperation in Syria’s postwar reconstruction despite existing international sanctions.

Syria’s interim government welcomed South Korea’s interest in assisting the Middle Eastern country in five key sectors: energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, education and health care, according to the official.

The prospect of South Korea-Syria diplomatic ties could deal a significant blow to North Korea’s foreign relations.

People gather the mosque and its surroundings with 'Syrian revolution flag' and chant slogans calling for the country's freedom and a 'new Syria' after performing the first Friday prayer at the Umayyad Mosque following the collapse of the 61-year-long Baath regime in Syria and the end of the Assad family's rule in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 13, 2024. [UPI/YONHAP]

Since 1966, Pyongyang and Damascus have maintained a close alliance, engaging in illicit cooperation on nuclear and missile development. Over the years, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the ousted Assad exchanged numerous diplomatic letters, reinforcing their strong ties.

However, with the Assad regime’s collapse and Syria’s interim government seeking to rebuild relations with the international community, the conditions are now in place for South Korea to engage diplomatically with Syria. The interim government plans to minimize relations with countries that had close ties to the Assad regime, such as North Korea and Russia, according to a source.

The situation bears similarities to South Korea’s secret negotiations with Cuba, which led to the surprise establishment of diplomatic ties in February 2024. North Korea, caught off guard, has since downplayed its relations with its "brotherly" country in state media.

South Korea opened its first embassy in Havana in January, and Cuba is preparing to open its embassy in Seoul.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]