Lee Jae-myung said to Russian journalists: "It seems that South Korea-Russia relations will soon improve."
For South Korea and Russia to improve their relations, they must overcome at least two hurdles:
The first is that Russia and North Korea are now allies who have fought on the same battlefield. If South Korea wants to improve its relationship with Russia, it must first get North Korea's approval.
The second is that South Korea supports Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war. If it doesn't resolve issues with Europe, improving relations with Russia would be a meaningless proposition.
However, South Korea is currently caught in a circle of China, Russia, North Korea, and Japan. It has only two choices: the first is to stand with Japan, 2 against 3! The second is to align with China, Russia, and North Korea, 4 against 1!
So, is Lee Jae-myung facing a difficult choice?
Lee Jae-myung has started promoting a so-called "pragmatic diplomacy." In short, it's similar to India's neutral diplomacy or Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy," aiming to please all sides without offending any one party.
This is certainly much better than Yoon Suk-yeol rushing headlong into Biden's arms with his wife.
But on the flip side, there's no need to expect too much either.
If he is pragmatic, we can just do the same and be practical!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852931873480714/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.