Indeed -> and it is and will continue to be to their detriment. So we shall see how the landscape changes, not just in the world - but within the Kremlin. Putin won’t be around forever.
Economically speaking. Two of the most prominent buildings in St. Petersburg bear “Samsung” and “KIA” signs. And most major appliances bear the “LG” logo.
Also stunned by the impact (South) Koreans had in Russia, especially with regard to Christian evangelism and building churches following the fall of the USSR.
For a few North Koreans, Russia is their first exposure to the “outside” world...Albeit some labor in auspices akin to that of slavery. (You may have heard a few have even died during construction of the World Cup stadiums.) But I would hear anecdotes from South Korean tourists about meeting North Korean workers on Russian trains.
Apparently the, North Koreans even offered food to share...a noted irony to be fed by them. Seeds of unification at work...