Yoonhee Kang, Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Kookmin University, analyzes that the recent summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un is Russia’s “response” to the latest ROK-U.S.-Japan trilateral at Camp David. Pointing out that Russia has been maintaining distance from North Korea in an effort to manage ROK-Russia relations and to uphold international norms, Kang explains that Putin is now signaling a change in foreign policy as ROK-U.S.-Japan strengthen their trilateral security cooperation and pave way for bloc confrontation. As the balance of power in East Asia is shifting, Kang urges the Korean government to focus on crisis management through effective diplomacy.
