[Exclusive] President Moon to Attend September Russia's Eastern Economic Forum... Putin Likely to Visit Korea in May

President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin are shaking hands at the Korea-Russia summit held in Osaka, Japan, in June last year. (Photo by Cheong Wa Dae)

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in will attend the 6th Eastern Economic Forum to be held in Russia this September. Prior to this, it has been reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit South Korea around May.

According to government and ruling party officials on the 10th, South Korea and Russia are confirmed to be coordinating specific details regarding these summit schedules. The Eastern Economic Forum, hosted by the Russian government and held in Vladivostok, is a high-level international conference aimed at developing the Far East region. President Putin has been dedicating efforts to this forum annually to achieve his policy goals during his tenure. President Moon's direct attendance will be the first in three years since his inaugural year in 2017. In 2018, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, and last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki attended as government representatives, respectively.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Russia. The government plans to actively promote economic cooperation as well as cultural and human exchanges to maximize the significance of the 30th anniversary. With the addition of high-level diplomatic efforts, it is expected that progress will accelerate further. In his New Year's address earlier last month, President Moon emphasized, "Russia is a key partner in the New Northern Policy," and added, "I expect that this year, the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, will mark a new turning point in New Northern diplomacy." The Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation also declared this year as the "Year of New Northern Cooperation."

President Putin's visit to South Korea around May is highly likely. In June last year, during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, President Moon held a Korea-Russia summit and officially invited Putin, saying, "I hope President Putin will visit South Korea as soon as possible to have in-depth discussions on various fields." At that time, President Putin responded, "I will actively consider it."

The attendance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at this year's Eastern Economic Forum cannot be ruled out. Following mutual visits between the South Korean and Russian leaders, if the four leaders of South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia gather at the Eastern Economic Forum, it is expected to mark a significant turning point in the Korean Peninsula peace process. Last year, North Korea upgraded its delegation from ministerial to deputy prime minister level, dispatching a seven-member delegation including Deputy Premier Ri Yong-nam.