South Korea and Russia marked the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations on Thursday. The diplomatic normalization was a milestone in 1990, opening the way for the two countries to promote friendship and cooperation. It was also meaningful as Seoul and Moscow came to see an ease in Cold War confrontation.
One of the most outstanding achievements in the bilateral ties is an upsurge in the trade between the two countries. The two-way trade soared to $9.98 billion last year from $193 million in 1992. In 2008, the figure hit the highest level of $18 billion, but it dipped below the $10-billion level in 2009 following the unprecedented global economic crisis.
South Korea and Russia have continued to enhance cooperative ties in economy, diplomacy, energy, tourism and other sectors over the last two decade. During his visit to Moscow in September 2008, President Lee Myung-bak and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev agreed to upgrade the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.
It is safe to say that Russia has been, is and will be an opportunity and a challenge for Korea at the same time. The two neighbors have great potential for collaboration in every field. Russia has the world’s largest deposit of natural gas. It is also rich in coal, crude oil and other natural resources.
Despite such ample opportunities, the two countries are still faced with challenges. Frankly speaking, there have been ups and downs in their relationship. Seoul and Moscow have gone through on-and-off tensions and conflicts over the past 20 years.
The latest conflict has emerged since Moscow refused to support Seoul’s efforts to hold Pyongyang culpable for the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. The Russian military has made its own report on the naval incident, repudiating a Seoul-led international investigation team’s conclusion that North Korea attacked the vessel.
No doubt Moscow is engaged in equidistance diplomacy between Seoul and Pyongyang. Russia is trying to seek its national interest while claiming its stake in North Korea to regain its clout in East Asia. It is also true that Russia has been more or less dissatisfied with South Korea’s long-standing emphasis on ties with its traditional ally ― the United States.
Since his inauguration, President Lee has set in motion his much-avowed “pragmatic diplomacy” to have better ties with the Big Four powers ― the U.S., Japan, China and Russia. But his policy has yet to pass a test as China and Russia have stood behind the North Korea in what appears to be a new Cold War against South Korea and the U.S. in the wake of the naval tragedy.
In this context, Seoul and Moscow should defuse such an outdated alignment if they really want to forge strategic partnership and maximize their potential for cooperation and co-prosperity. It’s time for them to have better understanding of each other and build trust to go beyond the complex geopolitics.