The South Korean government's response to the escalation of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine has been hesitant.

When America and Europe, Japan and Australia already imposed sanctions on Russia on Wednesday, the government in Seoul kept a low profile.

There was talk of diplomatic contacts and options that are kept open.

Then on Thursday, the State Department said the country had no choice but to join sanctions if Russia went ahead with a full-blown war.

Government spokesman left it open what exactly is to be understood behind this cryptic formulation.

Patrick Welter

Correspondent for business and politics in Japan based in Tokyo.

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Only after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion did it become a little more precise.

After a meeting of the National Security Council, President Moon Jae-in was quoted as saying that South Korea would join international sanctions against Russia.

Even then, it was still unclear which specific steps Seoul intends to take.

According to agency reports, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said South Korea did not want to impose unilateral sanctions.

Neighboring Japan, on the other hand, has already threatened to further tighten its economic sanctions against Russia.

One reason for the reluctance in Seoul can be assumed to be economic.

When the West imposed sanctions on Moscow after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, South Korea's exports to Russia halved.

This shock runs deep.

Export to Russia accounts for 1.5 percent of South Korean exports.

On the import side, the figure is 2.8 percent, for example important raw materials and specialty gases.

According to South Korean commentators, North Korea is at least as important for South Korea's hesitant action.

In the last few weeks of his term of office, which ends in May, Moon does not want to upset Russia too much and wants to preserve the chance of a peaceful rapprochement between North and South Korea.

Russia is an important player, with whom South Korea has maintained a strategic partnership since 2008.

Earlier this week, Moon ordered his security advisers to actively ensure that the situation in Ukraine would not adversely affect efforts to establish the inter-Korean peace process.

The left-liberal Moon follows a tradition of reticence towards Russia.

His conservative predecessor Park Geun-hye also shied away from economic sanctions when Russia occupied Crimea in 2014 so as not to strain relations with Moscow.