Seoul's foreign ministry has vowed to make an active effort to manage relations between Seoul and Moscow, while strictly dealing with the "illegal cooperation" between Russia and North Korea.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk made the comments during a regular press briefing on Thursday after he was asked about the government's position on remarks made by Russian foreign ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
 
Zakharova on Wednesday criticized South Korea's sanctions on Russian vessels and individuals as an 'unfriendly measure' and warned of a response, saying Seoul’s decision would have a negative impact on relations between the two countries.
 
Lim emphasized that any cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow should be done in accordance with the norms of international law and the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) resolutions, without harming the security of South Korea.

Amid accusations from the international community that Russia is trying to neutralize the UNSC's sanctions regime against North Korea, the South Korean government slapped unilateral sanctions targeting the arms trade between Russia and North Korea.