South Korean authorities have demanded the removal of a banner reading “Victory will be ours” from the Russian Embassy building in Seoul.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry voiced concern that the Russian-language slogan is perceived as a reference to Russia’s war against Ukraine and could create tensions in Seoul’s relations with third countries, according to Yonhap.
The embassy has not yet taken down the banner, which could be seen by South Korean authorities as a breach of diplomatic etiquette, Yonhap noted.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the request to remove the banner, RIA Novosti reported. “We have already conveyed to the Russian side our position regarding the recent placement of a banner on the outer wall of the Russian Embassy building in the Republic of Korea,” the ministry told the agency. It also expressed dissatisfaction with recent remarks by Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev, without specifying which statements.
On February 20, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it was consulting with NATO on various measures to support war-hit Ukraine, including a possible move to join the PURL initiative. “In that case, we will be forced to exercise our right to take retaliatory, including asymmetric, measures,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Seoul’s potential participation in PURL.
