South Korea Establishes Diplomatic Relations with New Syrian Government

After years of strained relations due to the Assad regime’s relationship with North Korea, South Korea is prepared to support Syria’s new government. (Courtesy: Flickr)

South Korea officially established diplomatic relations with Syria’s new government on April 10. The move comes months after rebels in Syria overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and established a transitional government under the leadership of Interim President Ahmed al-Shara.

Establishing relations with Syria represents a historic moment in South Korea’s foreign policy. Under the Assad regime, Syria was a close and crucial ally to North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un backed Assad in the face of international condemnation and supplied military aid to the Syrian Arab Army in the form of missile and chemical weapons technology.

When the Assad regime fell in December 2024, the South Korean government jumped on the opportunity to turn a new leaf. Kim Eun-jeong, director-general of the South Korean ministry’s African Middle Eastern Bureau, travelled to Syria in February 2025 to seek confirmation from the transitional government that it was open to establishing diplomatic relations with South Korea. The government in Seoul approved a resolution supporting the official relationship soon after.

The move “opens a new chapter of bilateral cooperation with Syria, with which diplomatic ties had been severed due to its close relationship with North Korea,” said the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Further, the statement continued, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol “conveyed the Republic of Korea’s willingness to share its development experience in support of Syria’s national reconstruction efforts. He also noted the possibility of Korean companies' participation in Syria’s rebuilding process, once relevant conditions improve.”

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani expressed “his hope for the ROK’s support in easing sanctions on Syria” and “to continue discussions on potential avenues for the ROK’s contribution to Syria's future reconstruction.”

The new relationship between South Korea and Syria serves Syria’s diplomatic goals, but it also represents a keystone for South Korea’s. With Syria now officially tied to South Korea, Seoul holds diplomatic ties with all 191 UN member countries besides North Korea, as South Korea and Cuba, another North Korean ally, established diplomatic relations in 2024. When South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba, Seoul celebrated the deal as a “political and psychological blow” to Pyongyang, whose diplomatic relations are limited and dependent on a dwindling number of Cold War allies.

Establishing relations with Syria cements a pattern in South Korean foreign policy that sends a powerful message to North Korea and the international community at large: South Korea is asserting its identity as a key player on the world stage and claiming a diplomatic win against Pyongyang.