Issue Preparing Korea-Russia Arctic route cooperation in phases under sanctions

Summary

The report observes that Korea's new government is placing special emphasis on the Northern Sea Route project as a source of new growth and balanced regional development. Its own economic analysis also points to the need for cooperation with Russia in Arctic-route logistics and networks, where policy and economic demands converge. The authors therefore call for a strategic effort to improve Korea-Russia cooperation in preparation for a future Arctic Ocean era, stressing that a phased approach mindful of sanctions on Russia matters most. In the short term, while sanctions on Russia and North Korea remain, Korea should lay a firm foundation for shipbuilding and logistics infrastructure cooperation. In the medium to long term, it should build on inter-Korean and Korea-North Korea-Russia cooperation to expand and activate a shared economic space between the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East and Siberia.