South Korea said on Tuesday it will establish diplomatic relations with Syria, Korean media reported.
The South Korean government is following the relevant procedures to establish diplomatic relations, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a foreign ministry official.
A ministry official from Seoul visited Syria last month to explore the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations. According to the ministry, Syria’s foreign minister expressed willingness to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Syria is the only UN member country with which South Korea does not have diplomatic relations. The Seoul government offered to formalise diplomatic relations with the Middle Eastern country in 2005, but Syria rejected the offer, citing its relations with North Korea, which is still technically at war with South Korea.
In 2006, the then Roh Moo-hyun administration proposed the establishment of a consulate, to which Syria responded favourably.
However, the plan failed to materialise due to internal objections amid deteriorating relations between Seoul and Washington, which has labelled Syria a rogue regime, along with North Korea and Iran, among others.
Last September, the government proposed the two countries “establish diplomatic relations through South Korea’s embassy in Lebanon,” a Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry official who asked not to be named said. Syria did not respond to the proposal, saying only that it was considering the matter.
Seoul believes diplomatic ties with Syria will help protect South Korean citizens and their property, as well as help resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue and contribute to stability in the Middle East, the official said.
