Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
INTERVIEW Russian ambassador sees Korea as 'most favorable' among 'unfavorable nations'
Russian Ambassador to Korea Georgy Zinoviev speaks on Korea-Russia relations during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Seoul, Friday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Kim Hyun-bin
Envoy warns against direct weapons exports to Ukraine
Saying that the future of relations between Korea and Russia is "bright" but the way leading to them is winding, Russian Ambassador to Korea Georgy Zinoviev underscored Seoul's relatively favorable stance toward Moscow among what he referred to as "unfavorable nations,” claiming this would help get the tense ties back on track.
Amid the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hinted at providing support other than humanitarian aid to Kyiv, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to issue a rare warning that implied devastating consequences for their bilateral ties.
In addition, the Korean government, which joined the international community's financial sanctions against Russia in 2022, made a decision last month to tighten export controls on Russia, a move provoking Russian threats of retaliation.
"If and when our Korean partners would be ready to once again enhance or enlarge the scope of our cooperation, I think that goodwill will most certainly be reciprocated by Russia,” the ambassador said during an interview with The Korea Times at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Seoul, Friday.
"Korea is one of the friendliest among so-called unfavorable nations. I do hope that the Republic of Korea would be among the first so-called unfavorable nations that become favorable."
Zinoviev, a career diplomat who took office earlier this month, said that Korea is different from some Western powers which want Russia “defeated, humiliated or disintegrated,” which the ambassador said is not the goal of South Korea's diplomacy and foreign policy.
“I do not think that that is kind of philosophy that is supported by our Korean partners,” he said.
On the contrary, the ambassador took Western countries to task for employing a deliberate strategy to accuse Russia of wrongdoings, which ultimately drove a wedge between Korea and Russia.
"One more goal would be to drag Korea further apart from Russia. By that kind of allegations and accusations, we already experience some turbulence in our bilateral relations," he said.
"While I think in the best interest of Russia and Korea is to contain that damage to get our relations out of turbulent area, perhaps some other countries would like them to enter into not just the turbulence but into the thunderstorm."
Direct export of arms to Ukraine
Against the backdrop of heightened global geopolitical tensions, the demand for weapons and ammunition has surged to unprecedented levels. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas confrontation have fueled this spike.
As the conflict in Ukraine intensifies, the international focus is shifting toward Korea as the international community is urging the nation to contribute to the supply of much-needed ammunition to bolster Ukraine's defense efforts.
Zinoviev expressed deep concerns over Korea supplying arms exports directly to Ukraine, warning of potentially severe consequences to bilateral relations.
"We have expressed many times to our Korean partners that it would be very detrimental for bilateral ties if the Republic of Korea starts direct arms exports to the Ukrainian regime, and we do not want to see the ammunition killing Russian soldiers," Zinoviev said.
He highlighted the gravity of such a scenario, suggesting that it could “deal a heavy blow” to the future prospects of their relations.
The ambassador acknowledged that this position has been communicated to Korean officials through diplomatic channels and public statements.
"We've seen several official statements by the Korean side that it is not going to and is not planning to have direct arms exports of weapons toward Ukraine and we take this position seriously," he said.
Zinoviev expressed hope that Korea would continue to uphold this commitment for the sake of their future relations. He stressed the importance of considering not only the current situation but also anticipating the post-conflict era in Ukraine.
"The conflict on the Ukrainian territory will end and I have no doubts that it will end by Russia achieving its goals that it has set for the special military operation which is demilitarization of the Ukraine and making sure that the Ukraine does not pose a threat towards Russia's security,” the ambassador said.
Russia welcomes return of Korean companies
The ambassador expressed optimism about the potential for Korean companies to regain their foothold in the Russian market, highlighting the historical success of Korean businesses in Russia and the favorable attitudes Russian consumers had toward Korean products.
"Well, Korean companies had a very strong and big share in Russian markets and it used to be very much respected and loved by Russian consumers," he said. "One of the names of an international company that came to the mind of a Russian consumer, if you just ask him on the street, would be Samsung."
However, he acknowledged that the current situation has changed, with a decrease in the market share of Korean companies in Russia, revealing that only one out of 50 cars sold in Russia last year came from Korea while before the war 20 percent of cars were Korean-made.
Last month, Hyundai Motor, Korea's leading carmaker, decided to sell its Russian manufacturing plant. The St. Petersburg facility, launched in 2010, halted operations in March 2022, citing disruptions in component supplies attributed to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Despite this decline, he underlined the absence of artificial restrictions or barriers imposed by Russia and added that Korean companies will be welcomed if they return at their convenience.
"I would like to stress that unlike Western or Japanese companies, none of Korean companies publicly declared that they are leaving the Russian market due to political reasons. No one slammed the door," Zinoviev said.
The ambassador expressed hope that Korean companies would consider returning to the Russian market, which he described as lucrative with numerous opportunities. He assured that Russia is open and welcoming to their return, stating, "We do hope that Korean companies have in mind the idea of returning to Russia as soon as possible, and we will be welcoming that."
Cultural exchanges
Zinoviev underscored the significance of cultural exchanges as a means of strengthening ties between Russia and Korea. As part of that, Moscow's state-owned Bolshoi Ballet is scheduled to perform in Seoul in April.
"The meaning of this visit is to have our Korean friends enjoy first-class world culture through cultural exchanges," he said.
"We do hope that our Korean friends will continue to enjoy the first-class world culture brought to them by Russian artists, as Korean artists are very welcomed in Russia as well."
Zinoviev emphasized the resilience of people-to-people connections and cultural ties, noting their resilience amid the current global turbulence affecting other areas.
He cited this as an example of a solid foundation that could help both nations return to normalcy and elevate their bilateral ties to a higher level.