Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev arrived in Seoul on Thursday to take up his position as the new top envoy, diplomatic sources said.

Zinoviev is replacing his predecessor, Andrey Kulik, who served as the ambassador to Seoul from August 2018.

Zinoviev was appointed as the new top envoy to Seoul by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month and is expected to present the credentials to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Zinoviev is a career diplomat who has mostly worked in departments handling China and Asia affairs. He previously served as the director of the First Asia Department at Russia’s foreign ministry.

Russia’s replacement of the top envoy to South Korea came as the bilateral relations between Moscow and Seoul became strained amid its war in Ukraine and international sanctions against Moscow that South Korea has joined.

Russia is also suspected of engaging in illegal arms deals with North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.

In a written interview with a local media outlet last month,
Zinoviev, the then ambassador-designate, said South Korea is “one of the friendliest among unfriendly countries,” expressing hope for the ties to improve and his intent to make every effort to achieve it.

Zinoviev also noted that despite joining the U.S.-led sanctions against Russia, he feels that South Korea is trying to prevent a sharp curtailment of all ties with his country and continues to look for ways to “minimize the negative impact of Western restrictions” on bilateral cooperation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency