National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin was found to have held a closed-door meeting with Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko in Seoul last Saturday. 

A foreign ministry official said Tuesday that during the meeting Chang raised the issue of controversial remarks made by a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson. 

The day that the private session was held was the day when the foreign ministry in Seoul denounced Moscow after its foreign ministry spokesperson publicly criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol for his remarks on North Korea as being "blatantly biased."

Yoon had said the North Korean regime is the only "irrational" entity in the world that has legalized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons.

Aside from denouncing Moscow, the government also summoned Russia’s ambassador to Seoul Georgy Zinoviev and lodged a protest that day. 

Observers believe that despite high tensions, Seoul and Moscow demonstrated intent to continue high-level communication with Chang and Rudenko’s meeting.