South Korea’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with Syria marks a significant setback for North Korea, which had previously considered Syria an ally before Bashar al-Assad’s fall.
This move also poses a challenge for North Korea, a longstanding adversary of South Korea, which had considered Syria a friend under the regime of deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
On Thursday, diplomatic ties between South Korea and Syria were formalized in Damascus, with South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
Foreign Minister Cho emphasized South Korea’s readiness to assist Syria in its recovery from the civil war through investments and humanitarian aid.
Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani expressed hopes that South Korea would support international sanctions relief for Damascus, according to a statement from South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The establishment of formal ties culminates discussions initiated in February, which were approved by South Korea’s cabinet, as reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. The development comes amid significant political transitions in both countries.
In December, Syria’s opposition forces overthrew President al-Assad, ending over five decades of family rule. A transitional government was sworn in on March 30 under the leadership of President al-Sharaa, who previously led anti-Assad forces during the civil war.
The priority of al-Sharaa’s government is to restore stability to Syria, which continues to face violent clashes months after Assad’s fall.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol was formally impeached last week following support from the Constitutional Court for his removal from office.
Yoon ignited a political crisis in December by briefly declaring martial law, claiming that “antistate” and North Korean forces had infiltrated the government.
South Korea is currently led by an acting president, with voters set to select Yoon’s successor in a snap election in June.
With the inclusion of Damascus, Seoul now has diplomatic ties with all 191 UN member states, including the Holy See in Rome.
Last year, Seoul unexpectedly established diplomatic ties with Cuba, another North Korean ally, signaling a shift in its international relations.
