Commentary: Putin-Kim meeting generates surprising agreement about China in South Korea

South Korea has been a center of economic and diplomatic relations for decades. That was the game under the democratic world attempt, and Seoul did it well. The United States ‘ treaty alliance serves as the foundation of South Korean security, but it has n’t been construed as a factor in how the East Asian nation’s friends and partners would be.

This perspective can be seen in South Korea’s reaction to the Ukrainian military hostility from Russia. In contrast to the cases in Europe and North America, Russia’s conflict with Ukraine is not seen by all as a menace to world democracy.

One of the guiding factors in this opinion was the desire to keep business relations with Russia. Another explanation is that this conflict is never Korea’s: Getting involved you feel like being pushed around by Americans and granting them even more authority over international relations.

Seoul has provided humanitarian aid and non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but it has not yet broken its agreement to not provide weapons during an effective martial conflict. On Thursday, South Korea said it would rethink providing arms.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

In this view, Mr Putin’s attend reflects a missed chance, for South Korea, for North Korea, and for the wider region. Maybe Mr. Kim’s foreign entry would not have been the one from Moscow if Washington and Seoul had worked a little harder to encourage dialogue with Pyongyang.

Even though the symptoms are different, there is disappointment in Seoul over the Soviet attend to Pyongyang. Some attributed the North Korean command and its companions to be responsible. Other people view the causes as more complicated, with leaders from the United States and South Korea even being accused of adopting hostile postures that create a charged, philosophical, and Cold War-like tension.

However, anger is not the only positive thing South Korea does. The viewpoints are more flimsy, which suggests prudence when deciding Seoul’s future steps.

For better or worse, South Koreans are not on a campaign.

Erik Mobrand is Professor of Korean Research at Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies. At the National University of Singapore, Hyejin Kim is the Top Lecturer of Political Science.