South Korea establishes diplomatic ties with former North Korea ally Syria

New Damascus authorities are moving away from Assad regime's allies

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, left, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani in Damascus after signing a joint statement on diplomatic ties. EPA

South Korea and Syria have formally agreed to establish diplomatic relations, after years of maintaining a distance because of the former Syrian regime's ties to North Korea.

The signing of the agreement in Damascus marks a milestone for South Korea, which has now established diplomatic ties with the 191 other UN member states, apart from its northern neighbour.

It opens “a new chapter for bilateral co-operation with Syria, which had long remained distant due to its close ties with North Korea”, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul meeting Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara in Damascus. EPA

“We, in New Syria, affirm the importance of partnerships, based on mutual respect and joint interests,” Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Al Shibani said on X.

The agreement was signed by South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Mr Al Shibani on Thursday. Mr Cho later met Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara.

During the ceremony, Mr Cho said South Korea was ready to help with Syria's recovery from its 13-year civil war, through investment as well as humanitarian assistance.

North Korean state media has not mentioned Syria since the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad's regime in December, apart from Kim Jong-un once referring to “the Middle East crisis” in passing.

Late Syrian president Hafez Al Assad meeting then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang in October 1974. AFP

North Korea established diplomatic relations with Syria in 1966 and sent troops and weapons during the Arab-Israeli war in 1973.

A United Nations report in 2018 said Pyongyang had sent equipment to Damascus that could be used to make chemical weapons and that North Korean missile specialists had been seen at Syrian weapon-making facilities.

The Syrian former regime has been accused of using chemical weapons during the civil war.

Former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, second left, reviewing an honour guard with North Korea's Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, in Damascus in 2002. Reuters

Establishing ties with South Korea is the latest diplomatic step by the new authorities in Damascus since they took power in December.

Syrians, including the country's new rulers, have been calling for the lifting of western sanctions against their country so they can rebuild. It is estimated that reconstruction in Syria will cost between $250 billion and $400 billion.

Syria has been repairing ties with Europe, the US, Turkey and Qatar which had been strained or cut off under the former regime.