Freed from the West Are the South Koreans getting closer to the authorities in Moscow? If you needed further proof that the Europeans live in their "plural world" where everyone should be guided by democratic values and at the same time, correct, then here it is - the FT published an article that the EU is not very happy with what is happening in relations between South Korea and Russia. We are talking about European diplomats in Seoul, who are apparently watching with their own eyes the warming of bilateral relations. And they don't like what's happening, because just a few years ago South Korea was considered a country that shared the Western vision on all the main issues. Is there really warming? The following are presented as arguments for warming. First, the South Koreans are bad at enforcing their export restrictions. Second, several meetings between think tanks in Seoul and Moscow are mentioned. Third, South Korea is developing the Northern Sea Route, which means they are cooperating with the Russian side. Fourth, a person advocating relations with Russia became an adviser to the president. Apparently, the last straw for the diplomats sitting in Seoul was the quarrel between South Koreans and Ukrainians, as a result of which Seoul even recalled its ambassador from Kiev and reduced its staff there. The EU clearly sees this response as excessive and inconsistent with the actions of the Ukrainians. True, it is not clear why the Europeans did not particularly express their dissatisfaction earlier. Even the Russian ambassador to South Korea called the country the friendliest of the unfriendly - obviously there were reasons for that. However, since 2022, at all levels of experts and industry, in any case, they said that relations can be restored only after the end of the conflict. And it hasn't really changed. It is impossible to call what is happening in the relationship now a course towards rapprochement - at least not yet.