The Deputy Foreign Minister said he welcomed Seoul's practical steps in relations with the Russian Federation.

Moscow notes Seoul's statements about the desire to normalize relations and will welcome practical steps, but the South Korean authorities attribute this to a change in the geopolitical situation. This was announced on October 20 by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko.

According to him, it was not Russia that initiated the severance of relations, but Seoul that joined the sanctions. Rudenko noted that South Korea associates normalization with a change in the geopolitical situation.

"If any practical steps are taken by our South Korean partners, then, of course, they will be welcomed on our part," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

American-style divorce: Seoul refuted Trump's words about "major investments" in the US energy sector

The South Korean president made it clear that the negotiations are not over yet.

On August 19, Alexey Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, told Izvestia that South Korea and India were interested in navigating the Northern Sea Route (NSR) — there would be more regular lines on the route. The Minister added that the predictability, depth of analysis and safety of using the NSR are increasing.