Since the beginning of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Seoul in 1990, the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation consider the all agreements between the two countries as a step towards establishing peace and security in the Korean Peninsula. The Agreement on Foundation of Relations, dated 1992, was signed by Russian President B. Yeltsin and his Korean counterpart Ro De Uh. In the scope of this agreement Moscow supported Inter-Korean dialogue which can eliminate political and military confrontation between South and North Koreas. During the summit of 1999 Presidents of Russia and South Korea, based on bilateral agreements between the two countries in the fields of economy, scientific and technical cooperation as well as cultural exchange, reaffirmed determination to seek the ways that assure to settle the dispute between Seoul and Pyongyang through negotiations, without interference of the third countries.
In
the context of the cooperation between Russia and South Korea it is worth
noting that both Moscow and Seoul remain sensible to each other matters which
can hamper the bilateral relations. Thus Russia highly appreciated the decision
of Seoul to stay out of US plans to deploy the anti-ballistic missile defense
in the Far East. In return, the Republic of Korea welcomed the decision of
Russia to not prolong the Soviet Union – North Korea Treaty of 1961[1]. That
gives ground to boost the bilateral cooperation and the rewards of such a partnership
are reaped.
Denuclearization
November
9, 2006 North Korea performed a nuclear weapon test. Ground zero of the nuclear
explosion was 177 kilometers off the international border of the Russian
Federation. Moscow opposed such nuclear tests stating that any development of
nuclear or missile technologies is not acceptable regardless who or what stays
behind them. Follow a policy of non-proliferation Russia actively seeks
negotiation sites to eliminate the threat of war in the Asia-Pacific Region in general
and the Korean Peninsula in particular, using regional organizations like Association
of South East Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asia
Cooperation Dialog, Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures
in Asia, etc.
South
Korea supports the position of Russia and also uses international and regional
rostrums to bring it home to world community the importance of
denuclearization. President Lee Myung-Bak released a statement at the end of
the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit condemning North Korea's
nuclear test as "clear violations" of UN Security Council resolutions
and the agreements reached at six-party nuclear disarmament talks as peaceful denuclearization
of the Korean peninsula was essential to keep the regional peace . "North
Korea's underground test is a serious threat to peace and security in North-East
Asia and beyond," Lee Myung-Bak said at the closing press conference.
The
problem of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula cannot be settled without
considering current international developments. Unfortunately, today
international relations are affected by a factor of power, in other words
“might makes right”. We witness how some countries talk in terms of ultimatum
and sanctions and how a block policy is reviving. The clear examples of what
“democracy” can make with an oppressor who runs an undesirable state were
demonstrated to international community. These are former Yugoslavia, Iraq,
Libya and Syria which is tottering on the edge of civil war with likely foreign
incursion that may follow. Having regard to the reality of modern international
policy some countries feel themselves as impaired and try to secure its borders
by all means including the development of own nuclear technologies, weapons and
weapon delivery systems.
However
it does not mean that one should come to terms with possession of nuclear
weapon by North Korea. Russia does not recognize a nuclear status of Pyongyang
and works together with other members of the six-party talks[2]
in order to convince the North Korean political and military leadership to
eliminate the nuclear weapon development program.
Moscow
and Seoul adhere principals of assurance of security for two Koreas, Japan and
other states of the region. Based on this principle the work on the settlement
of nuclear problem in the Korean Peninsula should be focused. The assurance
should be solid and rather convincing. The result of the negotiations and
further development of the situation on the Peninsula will affect not only
North –East Asia countries but all states of Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The
success of denuclearization of the Peninsula will create a precedent which can
be utilized and implement when similar problems in other countries are waiting
for settlement, i.e. nuclear problem of Iran, possession of nuclear weapon by
Israel, etc. It is worth noting that the settlement of the Korean problem is
going to be a weighty contribution to the peace process at the international
level.
The
second point that needs to be highlighted is that denuclearization negotiations
are conducted in the frameworks of the six-party talks. These talks are very
important as they exemplify the way how problems should be solved in the XXI
century using the method of collective elaboration of a solution rather than
using unilateral acts of force and threatening. This example of collective
elaboration can mend the getting broken architecture of modern policy where, as
it was said above, “might makes right”.
It
is very important that Russia and South Korea share these views and come out in
a cognate platform.
Military Cooperation
Russia suffers the permanent conflict
which is taking place on the Korean Peninsula. Hence, it narrows the
capabilities of Moscow and Seoul to develop lucrative bilateral relations in
all industry sectors, including military-technical cooperation.
Today South Korean Army is equipped mainly
with US made weapon systems and ammunition. There are about 120 Russian tanks
T-80U and BMP -3 in the service. In the end of 90s Moscow also delivered
several man-portable SAMs “Igla” and ant-tank missiles “Metis-M”. In 2002 a
hundred million dollar contract was signed between Russia and RK for
manufacture of three air cushion amphibious assault landing craft type 12061 E
“Murena”. In 2003 Russian MiG Aircraft Corporation delivered 23 light four-seat
aircraft Il-103. The worth of the deal is estimated around nine million US dollars.
Between 2003 and 2006 RK purchased armament and military hardware from Russia at
a sum of 534 million US dollars.
However, the attempts to boost such
cooperation have been successfully implemented in recent years. In 1997 Moscow
and Seoul signed an Agreement on Military and Technical Cooperation. Since that
time the exchange of military delegations and port visits were executed. In
addition the uniformed personnel of the two countries underwent training
programs in the National Military Academies in Russia and South Korea.
There is a signed agreement between Russia
and South Korea on cooperation in military industrial complex. In 2005 on the
eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit than Minister of Foreign
Affairs of South Korea Ban Ki-moon mentioned that the establishment of joint
ventures and exchange of technologies were fallen behind other economic ties
between countries like in energy and exploration of natural resources. At the
same time Mr. Ki-moon expressed his hopes that military cooperation between
Moscow and Seoul would be more intensive.
In 2002 than Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov expressed his satisfaction in the context of relations between Russian
and South Korean Ministers of Defense. In particular he mentions that relations
between the two countries are progressively developed in the fields of
military-technical cooperation, training and education. The former Ministry of
Defense highlighted that Moscow and Seoul had much in common in terms of
security in the Asian-Pacific region.
During a visit of Minister of Defense of
Republic of Korea in the same year to Moscow, Russian and Korean sides
discussed possibilities to arrange a joint military exercise and purchase of
Russian made military hardware in particular tactical aircraft, tanks, infantry
personnel carriers and air-defense systems.
Talking about AD systems it is worth
noting that first Korean mid-range anti-aircraft guided missile system KM-SAM
was based on a prototype made by Russian specialists of JSC "NPO
"Almaz" named after A. A. Raspletin together with their colleagues
from Doosan DST under the leadership of Samsung Thales.
Another significant step towards
strengthening of Russian – South Korean military cooperation was an official
visit of Minister of Defense of RK Lee
Sang-Hee to Moscow where he held
talks with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov. As a result of a
comprehensive and meaningful dialog was an agreement to establish a direct
communications channel between 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army
(Russia, Far East) and South Korean Command and Control Air Force Centre.
In the framework of that visit the two
sides discussed a program aimed at military cooperation in the scope of
maintenance and repair of Russia made military hardware that were delivered to
RK previously. The program entails the arrangement of 18 events which were supposed
to take place in 2009-2010.
However the close military alliance
between South Korea and the United States of America impedes, at some extend,
the military cooperation with Russia. The end of 90-s of the last century could
be a new line in the field of military and technical bilateral relations
between Moscow and Seoul. That time Russia participated in two
three-billion-dollar tenders for delivery of fighters and helicopters to the
Republic of Korea. The winner of fighter tender was declared the American F-15K
aircraft. As far as the second tender is concerned, South Korean Minister of
Defense set eyes on 36 Russian attack helicopters Ka-52, codenamed “Alligator”.
Moscow, along with delivery of rotary wing aircraft, offered a license
assembling of these helicopters in Republic of Korea.
Unexpectedly, the Korean officials decided
to backtrack the tender and launched their own helicopter engineering program. Such
a decision signals that Seoul was not ready for the deal with Moscow concerning
the purchase and license manufacture of the combat helicopters. That fortifies
the point – South Korea is under strong influence affected by the United States
of America.
Strategic Partnership
In
the scope of Joint Declaration-2008 Russia and South Korea clearly defined fields
of cooperation and joint strategy on the way to settle global problems. The
core of the Russian-Korean cooperation is a political solution of the Korean
nuclear problem. In July 2008 during a meeting between Russian President D.
Medvedev and his Korean colleague Lee Myung-bak the latter expressed his
gratitude saying that Moscow plays a decisive role in the six-party talks.
Russian President D. Medvedev, in his turn, stated that Russia would keep on
applying sponsor efforts on the way of denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula. In September 2008 in Moscow the Russian-Korean Summit participants
agreed to boost the bilateral relations between Moscow and Seoul up to a
strategic level.
According
to experts, the partnership between the two countries has extrinsic value in
the context of the multiparty security system in the North-East Asia region
based on balance and checks. The threat of nuclear weapons proliferation in the
region unites the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea. However, the
problem of the Peninsula deems not to be settled in isolation from global state
of affairs.
Today
the six-side talks are considered to be the most fortunate format to elaborate
security measures in the North-East Asia region. During the last summit in
Moscow South Korea expressed its support to Russia which acts as Chairman of
Working Group on Pease and Security (in the frameworks of the six-party talks).
Russia, in its turn, supports South Korea as Chairman of Working Group on
Economic and Energy Development.
Therefore,
the evolution of Russian-South Korean relations is reckoned to be gradually
boosted in all fields of cooperation.
Anton CHERNOV
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Nation’s Arsenal: Defense Industry Information
& Analysis
[1] Soviet Union – North Korean
Treaty, a formal mutual security act was signed in 1961 by N. Khrushchev and
Kim Il-sung. The Treaty was prolonged every 10 years.
[2] The six-party talks aim to find a
peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean
nuclear weapons program. There has been a series of meetings with six
participating states: Russian Federation, Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, United States of America and State
of Japan.
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