Seoul summoned Georgy Zinoviev, the Russian ambassador to South Korea, to express displeasure over the strengthened ties between North Korea and Russia, which include a commitment to provide military assistance in the event of aggression against either country. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun conveyed Seoul's position on the bilateral pact signed between North Korea and Russia on Wednesday during the meeting with Zinoviev at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Seoul. Zinoviev, who became the Russian Ambassador to South Korea in January, said "Annyeong hashimnikka" – a formal Korean greeting – to reporters on his way to the Foreign Affairs Ministry Headquarters, amid questions about the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Seoul took issue with the enhanced ties between North Korea and Russia and made its position clear during the meeting with Zinoviev, the Russian ambassador to South Korea, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Seoul. Zinoviev, who assumed the ambassadorial role in January, greeted reporters with a formal Korean salutation as he made his way to the meeting, where Seoul's stance on the bilateral pact between North Korea and Russia was conveyed.