Russia has revised its Korean policies. After Yevgeny Primakov and later Igor Ivanov became Russian Foreign Ministers and especially after President Vladimir Putin took power, Russia re-thought its policy, which, during Yeltsin’s time, had been pro-South Korean. Russia decided to develop “parallel relationships,” with both Seoul and Pyongyang that were as deep as possible, while recognizing the stronger South in terms of trade volume and the number of political contacts. Russia aimed to increase its role in Korean reconciliation by demonstrating its lingering influence in the North.