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Russia Hangs Pro-War Slogan on Seoul Embassy, Refuses to Take It Down
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The Russian Embassy in Seoul has hung a large banner reading “Victory will be ours” in Russian on its building ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting a formal request for its removal from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, Korea JoongAng Daily reported on February 23.
According to diplomatic sources cited by Korea JoongAng Daily, the banner was recently installed on the outer wall of the embassy building in Jeong-dong, central Seoul. It features the Russian flag and a slogan historically used by the Soviet Union to mark victory in World War II, and more recently associated in Russia with the war against Ukraine.
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The Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed it asked the embassy to remove the banner, expressing regret and noting that Russia’s invasion constitutes “a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.” A ministry official said the banner “could create unnecessary misunderstandings and diplomatic tension,” adding that several European envoys in Seoul had also conveyed their concerns.
The Russian Embassy has not complied with the request. Embassy officials reportedly denied any political intent, arguing that the phrase has been used since the Soviet era and is unrelated to the war in Ukraine, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, host-country authorities cannot enter diplomatic premises without consent, leaving the Korean government with no legal means to forcibly remove the banner.
The episode follows other public gestures by the embassy. On February 11, Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev praised what he described as the “greatness” of North Korean troops” deployment to Russia. The embassy is also planning a rally on February 24, the anniversary of the invasion, in support of Russia’s war effort, Korea JoongAng Daily wrote.
Experts say the repeated actions may reflect deliberate signaling from Moscow. Lee Byung-chul of Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies told the outlet it is unlikely an ambassador would take such steps “without instructions from headquarters,” suggesting the moves may also be aimed at Seoul in the context of South Korea–US cooperation and Russia’s alignment with North Korea.
According to previous reports by the South Korean intelligence, approximately 6,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
According to the intelligence agency, around 10,000 North Korean combat troops and 1,000 engineering soldiers are currently deployed in Russia’s Kursk region to support Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine.
Earlier, it was reported that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers are currently on Russian territory, where they are gaining firsthand experience in modern warfare.
Speaking about the growing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, Ukrainian Preisident Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the presence of North Korean personnel inside Russia poses broader security risks beyond the war in Ukraine.
“10,000 North Korean soldiers are currently on the territory of Russia. It is extremely dangerous that they are gaining knowledge of modern hybrid warfare,” Zelenskyy said.
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