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The USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives at port in Busan on June 22, 2024, ahead of trilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan. (Yonhap)

National security adviser Chang Ho-jin warned on Sunday that if Russia provides high-precision weapons to North Korea, it could have ramifications on the types of weapons support Seoul could offer Ukraine. 

These comments were a follow-up to his previous announcement that in response to Russia’s recent treaty with North Korea, South Korea would consider sending lethal weapons to Ukraine. The treaty has resulted in a continuous diplomatic tit-for-tat that only elevates tensions. What we need right now is a new diplomatic strategy that focuses on peaceful coexistence with Russia, not a dangerous game of chicken. 

Chang appeared on a KBS broadcast of “Sunday Diagnosis,” during which he declared, “If Russia wants to restore and develop South Korea-Russia relations post-Ukraine war, it should think carefully.”

Chang was quick to denounce the new treaty signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their recent summit in Pyongyang. The treaty contains an agreement on mutual military aid and assistance if either party is invaded or attacked. On June 20, Chang announced that Seoul would “reconsider” its current stance of only sending non-lethal munitions to Ukraine. 

Putin immediately responded with an implied threat that Moscow could provide Pyongyang with high-grade military technology. The South Korean Foreign Ministry then summoned the Russian ambassador to discuss the matter on Friday. Chang’s comments on KBS represent a continuation of this escalation in rhetoric. 

Russia providing North Korea with nuclear or missile technology or high-precision weapons would be unacceptable from the South Korean perspective. However, how effective can the current strategy of publicly issuing verbal warnings be at keeping this from happening? 

North Korea’s new treaty with Russia represents a phenomenal diplomatic failure on South Korea’s part. By focusing excessively on relations with the US, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration effectively neglected relations with Russia. 

The recent treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow further crystallizes the new Cold War world order. While all blame cannot be placed on the Yoon administration, it is clear that the current administration did nothing to prevent the current situation from occurring. 

Not only has the administration’s diplomatic efforts failed in downgrading the level of agreements in the treaty, but it’s also shown itself to be a frazzled mess while failing to accurately determine the specifics of the treaty after the Pyongyang summit. Now, the administration is dragging South Korea further into the depths by threatening to send more weapons to Ukraine.

North Korea-Russia cooperation is sure to be a topic of intense discussion and debate during the NATO summit scheduled for next month in Washington, DC. We can only hope that Yoon focuses on more than just ramping up tensions by bolstering the trilateral alliance between South Korea, the US and Japan. That would not benefit our national interests one bit. Now is the time for a multi-faceted, high-level diplomatic strategy that blends strength with flexibility when it comes to Russia while considering relations with nearby countries.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]