Moscow and Seoul are in favor of an early resumption of the negotiation process on the settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Chung Ui Young.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed a whole range of issues, paying special attention to the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the overall situation in Northeast Asia.

“Moscow and Seoul remain committed to an early resumption of the negotiation process between the parties involved in the interests of a lasting settlement of the entire range of problems in this region,” Sergei Lavrov said.

At the same time, the heads of both foreign ministries stressed "the importance of efforts to maintain a peaceful and stable situation in Northeast Asia, including the Korean Peninsula."

This implies "the refusal of the parties to continue the" arms race "and to build up military activity in any form," said a statement published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and South Korean Foreign Minister Jong Ui Young at a joint news conference following the talks during Sergei Lavrov's visit to Seoul

  • RIA News

  • © Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

In turn, South Korean Foreign Minister Jong Ui Young said that Seoul welcomes cooperation with Russia on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The authorities of the Republic of Korea hope that Moscow will continue to play a constructive role in this process, he added.

According to experts, Moscow can indeed have a positive impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

As Roman Fainshmidt, a leading specialist at the Department of International Politics and Foreign Regional Studies, RANEPA, noted in an interview with RT, Russia is an independent actor in the Asia-Pacific region and is capable of playing the role of a security guarantor.

“It matters for South Korea.

In addition, Moscow has an established diplomatic connection with Pyongyang.

Russia, being a fairly neutral player in the region, can exert a certain influence on North Korea.

This influence cannot be called too great, but the DPRK appreciates the few allies that it still has on the world stage - Russia and China, ”the expert explained.

A similar point of view is shared by Evgeny Kim, a leading researcher at the Center for Korean Studies at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“Russia has already made a number of proposals to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Including jointly with Beijing, a roadmap for the settlement was developed.

Moscow has repeatedly offered to weaken sanctions against the DPRK when Pyongyang did not conduct nuclear and missile tests.

Now the Russian side proposes to gradually solve the problem with the help of political and diplomatic means.

But the United States does not agree to such measures, they are aimed at the surrender of the DPRK, "the expert said in a commentary on RT.

"Signal" rockets

Sergey Lavrov's trip to Seoul took place against the backdrop of the DPRK's new missile launch.

The shells were fired on the morning of March 25 from the North Korean province of South Hamgen in the direction of the Sea of ​​Japan.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea, we can talk about two short-range ballistic missiles that flew 450 kilometers, reaching an altitude of 60 kilometers.

The Japanese military gave a similar assessment to the launch of the DPRK.

As the head of the Japanese defense department, Nobuo Kishi, told reporters, the missile flight altitude did not exceed 100 kilometers, the range was about 450 km.

  • Border of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea in the Kaesong inter-Korean industrial complex

  • Reuters

  • © Kim Hong-Ji

The missile launch was the reason for convening an emergency meeting of the National Security Council of the Republic of Korea.

Council members expressed deep concern that the launch came amid a revision of Washington's policy towards Seoul.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff in a statement noted that the country's intelligence services and the United States are studying further details regarding the launched facilities.

The committee stressed that the South Korean military has increased surveillance and is on full alert with close cooperation with the United States.

The American side also commented on the DPRK's new missile launch.

According to Mike Kafka, spokesman for the Indo-Pacific Command of the US Armed Forces, the incident "underscores that North Korea's illegal weapons program poses a threat to its neighbors and the entire international community."

“The United States reaffirms its commitment to protecting the Republic of Korea and Japan,” he stressed.

We will remind, the previous rocket launch of the DPRK took place on March 21.

As reported by the South Korean agency Ryonhap with reference to the country's Chiefs of Staff Committee, it was about a test launch of cruise missiles.

This type of weapon is not subject to the restrictions of the UN Security Council.

This launch was the DPRK's first missile test since the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

The head of the White House himself did not attach great importance to this event.

“No, according to the Department of Defense, everything is as usual.

There was nothing new in what they did, ”Biden answered when reporters asked whether the tests were a provocation.

  • Servicemen of the DPRK army

  • Reuters

  • © KCNA

The authorities of neighboring China also reacted with restraint to the launch of cruise missiles by the DPRK military.

“We urge all parties to continue dialogue and consultations and work together to keep the situation calm,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular media briefing in Beijing.

According to experts, the DPRK's new missile launches are a political gesture from Pyongyang, which is addressed to Washington.

“Ballistic missile testing is a signal to the Biden administration, a statement about itself as a significant issue for US foreign policy.

Recently, the DPRK has left the information field, now the North Korean authorities want to draw attention to their position, ”Roman Fainshmidt said.

This point of view is shared by Yevgeny Kim.

"The DPRK's new missile launches are designed to push the United States to step up steps on Korean issues," the expert explained.

Uneven dialogue

Recall that Biden's predecessor as President of the United States, Donald Trump, made certain efforts to normalize inter-Korean relations and denuclearize the peninsula.

Steps towards reconciliation began after the serious military-political crisis of 2017, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the successful completion of the country's nuclear program and the creation of a full-fledged nuclear arsenal.

However, in 2018, tensions eased, and the parties began negotiations on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

This was facilitated by the election in 2017 of the representative of the United Democratic Party "Toburo" Moon Jae In, who promised to improve relations with northern neighbors during the election campaign.

Washington has joined in this effort.

In 2018, the first meeting of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un took place, the summit was held in Singapore.

As a result, the parties signed a joint document, under which Pyongyang assumed obligations on denuclearization in exchange for security guarantees from the United States.

  • Meeting of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un at the Panmunjom border point in the demilitarized zone between the DPRK and South Korea

  • Reuters

  • © KCNA

After the summit, North Korea stopped nuclear testing, but the US authorities were in no hurry to weaken the sanctions regime.

The American side put forward the complete nuclear disarmament of the DPRK as a precondition.

This option did not suit Pyongyang.

The leaders of the United States and the DPRK held another face-to-face meeting in early 2019, but it was unsuccessful.

Another meeting took place in June 2019, when Trump arrived at the Panmunjom border point, located in the demilitarized zone between the DPRK and South Korea.

There he spoke with Kim Jong-un and symbolically crossed the demarcation line, becoming the first US president to visit the DPRK.

The leaders agreed to continue negotiations on denuclearization.

A summit at the working group level was scheduled for October, but the event fell through.

The North Korean delegation left the negotiating platform, stating that the American side had not formulated constructive proposals.

In the future, the dialogue between the United States and the DPRK, as well as inter-Korean relations, did not develop.

The new White House administration plans to completely overhaul its policy towards Pyongyang.

This was announced by Anthony Blinken, speaking in February at a hearing in the Senate to confirm his candidacy for the post of Secretary of State.

“I think we should - and we intend - to generally reconsider the approach and course towards North Korea, since this is a difficult issue with which one administration after another has had many problems.

And the situation in this regard not only did not improve, but even worsened, ”Blinken said then.

The diplomat also promised that the new US administration will consider the possibility of supplying humanitarian aid to the DPRK.

Later, during a press conference, a senior US administration official noted that at this stage the White House is trying not to disclose details of diplomatic relations with North Korea.

“I would like to note that we are making efforts and will continue to do so in the future.

We are convinced that this format of diplomacy - in close cooperation with South Korea and Japan, as well as with China - is in the best interests of all interested parties.

We do not want to make it seem as if we are not ready for dialogue, ”the White House said.

However, experts are not optimistic about the prospects for a US-Korean dialogue under the Joe Biden administration.

“Republicans are more pragmatic about the issue of human rights and freedoms, while Democrats are more dogmatic on this issue.

Their commitment to supporting human rights will leave a negative imprint on the interaction between Washington and Pyongyang, ”said Roman Fainshmidt.

  • US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken

  • Reuters

  • © Olivier Hoslet

According to the expert, although to date, the course of the new US administration towards North Korea has not been finalized, it can be expected that it will be tougher than it was under Trump.

"The situation on the Korean Peninsula is not expected to improve, although South Korea is now interested in somehow promoting the agenda in support of rapprochement with the DPRK," the expert added.

Evgeny Kim also agrees with this point of view.

According to the expert, Donald Trump tried to apply in practice the formula for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which Russia proposed back in 2003.

“The new US administration should soon announce its course towards North Korea.

However, it is difficult to count on positive progress, given that the United States continues to conduct military exercises in preparation for the invasion of American and South Korean troops into North Korea.

And while such tactics are used, it is impossible to count on the normalization of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, ”the expert summed up.