South Korea has protested to Russian authorities after discovering that the Russian Embassy in Seoul hung a large fabric banner with a message rallying for victory, believed to commemorate the four-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
South Korea protested to Russia after finding that the Russian Embassy in Seoul displayed a large banner stating "Victory will be ours," believed to refer to the four-year milestone of the war in Ukraine.
South Korean authorities have consistently opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including concerns over North Korea sending troops to assist in the conflict, while North and South Korea technically remain at war.
The large red, white, and blue fabric banner with Russian text first appeared over the past weekend and remained hanging outside the Russian Embassy this morning (23 Feb), coinciding with the upcoming fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war on 24 Feb.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "The South Korean government firmly maintains its position that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is illegal, and in this context, we express the same stance regarding the hanging of the fabric banner outside the Russian Embassy in Seoul and the public statements by the Russian ambassador to South Korea." However, neither the Ukrainian nor Russian embassies in Seoul have commented on the matter.
This incident followed remarks by Gorky Sinovyev, the Russian ambassador to South Korea, who praised North Korean soldiers assisting Russia in the Ukraine war. He told South Korean reporters, "Russia recognizes that North Korean soldiers have contributed to liberating southern areas of the Kherson region from Ukrainian forces."
According to South Korean and Western intelligence sources, North Korea has sent thousands of troops to support Russia in the conflict. South Korean authorities estimate over 2,000 have died. Analysts say North Korea has received financial aid, military technology, food supplies, and energy from Russia in return.
South Korean officials said the deployment of North Korean troops poses a serious threat to national security and that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea should end. Technically, North and South Korea remain at war since the Korean War (1950-1953) ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
.sourceAFP