The main building of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. (Getty Images)


Seoul and Moscow recently held rare, undisclosed talks on the North Korean nuclear issue, amid efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
A senior Foreign Ministry official resp 바다이야기#릴게임 onsible for the North Korean nuclear issue recently made a clandestine trip to Moscow and met Russian counterparts, The Korea Herald has learned from sources.
The official met Oleg Burmistro 야마토게임하기 v, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large for the North Korean nuclear issue, though the date and details of what was discussed could not be disclosed.
However, the Foreign Minis 릴게임사이트 try in Seoul declined to confirm the matter.
Except for a foreign ministers’ meeting between South Korea and Russia on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September, there have been no 사이다쿨바다이야기게임 publicly known bilateral encounters on North Korean issues. That frozen communication came after South Korea’s intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service, confirmed Pyongyang’s troop depl 바다이야기온라인 oyment to support Russia in October 2024.
The Korea Herald also learned that South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Sok-bae has maintained contact with Russian Foreign Ministry officials. Lee, a Russia expert, returned to his current post in November after previously serving as ambassador to Russia from 2019 to 2022.
The last publicly disclosed consultation over the North Korean nuclear issue between South Korea and Russian diplomatic authorities took place in February 2024. Kim Gunn, then-chief South Korean nuclear envoy and special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, met Andrey Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister overseeing Asia-Pacific affairs.
The recent meeting has drawn added attention as the Lee Jae Myung administration — including the Foreign Ministry — has doubled down efforts to prepare for a range of scenarios amid US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine. How the conflict unfolds could shape not only ties between Seoul and Moscow but also the prospects for renewed dialogue between the United States and North Korea.
During its 2026 policy briefing Friday, the Foreign Ministry also outlined plans to gradually reset ties with Moscow and cooperate with Russia to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula if the war in Ukraine ends.
The ministry said it would “continue to exert diplomatic efforts to halt North Korea-Russia cooperation that violates UN Security Council resolutions, and induce Russia to play a constructive role for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
The Foreign Ministry also pledged to focus on “continuing and expanding strategic communication between the governments” of South Korea and Russia. The ministry said it would continue discussions between relevant authorities to explore possibilities for gradual cooperation — starting with non-sensitive areas — in light of current constraints, including sanctions against Russia.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also explained that post-Ukraine war scenarios were discussed in a closed-door policy briefing Friday with President Lee Jae Myung and Unification Minister Chung Dong-young in attendance.
“Given the difficult international environment, we reported on how South Korea can create diplomatic room for maneuver,” Cho said during a press briefing following Friday’s 2026 ministry plan briefing to Lee. “We discussed how the ongoing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine might unfold and what we should do if the war ends.”