ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Moscow's evolving policy toward the two Koreas, with particular emphasis on the period from July 1990 to July 1994. The Russian Federation, which succeeded the Soviet Union in January 1992, adopted a very different stance from the USSR in world politics, its foreign policy being directed toward a complete break with the communist dogmas that had previously influenced Soviet decision-making. The Seoul government was also concerned that the economic package it had promised Russia in exchange for diplomatic recognition might never be repaid. This led to a growing perception among Seoul's policy makers that Russian policy mattered less than before. The Soviet Union reassessed its policy toward South Korea after President Roh Tae-woo's July 7, 1988 speech declaring the "Northern Policy" as a central focus of his foreign policy. An important aspect of Gorbachev's foreign policy was a new emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.
