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South Korea tentatively agrees to diplomatic ties with Syria, says Foreign Ministry

Published: 11 Mar. 2025, 17:03

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 has tentatively agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Syria, the only United Nations member state with which Seoul has yet to formalize ties, South Korea's Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.

"The government is proceeding with the necessary procedures under the basic policy of pursuing diplomatic relations with Syria," the Foreign Ministry confirmed through a press statement.

The government recently convened a vice-ministerial meeting to discuss the proposal and is expected to submit the agreement to the Cabinet soon for formal approval.

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

Discussions on diplomatic ties between South Korea and Syria have gained momentum following the collapse of Assad’s 24-year 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. 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 move, if realized, could further isolate North Korea, a longtime ally of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]