Diplomatic-Pragmatic Korea and Northeast Asia
The diplomatic de-escalation between Japan and South Korea tensions in 2020 has brought attention on economic cooperation. Even though the dispute over travel restrictions has been denied by the government bilateral economic initiatives have continued or expanded.
Brown (2013) was the first to pioneer the documentation of pragmatic resistance in L2 Korean learners. His research revealed that a number of factors like the identity of the person and their beliefs, can influence a student's pragmatic decisions.
The role of pragmatism lies in South Korea's foreign policy
In a period of flux and changes South Korea's Foreign Policy needs to be bold and clear. It must be prepared to defend its values and pursue global public good including climate change, sustainable development and maritime security. It must be able to demonstrate its influence internationally by delivering concrete benefits. However, it must be able to do this without jeopardizing the stability of its domestic economy.
This is a daunting task. South Korea's foreign policies are affected by domestic politics. It is important that the leadership of the country can manage the domestic obstacles to build public confidence in the direction and accountability of foreign policies. This isn't an easy task since the underlying structures sustaining foreign policy formation are complex and diverse. This article examines the difficulties of overcoming these domestic constraints to project a cohesive foreign policy.
South Korea will likely benefit from the current administration's focus on a pragmatic relationship with allies and partners that have the same values. This can help to counter progressive attacks against GPS' values-based foundation and allow Seoul to engage with nondemocracies. It will also strengthen Seoul's relationship with the United States, which remains an essential partner in the advancement of the liberal democratic world order.
Seoul's complicated relationship with China - the country's largest trading partner - is another challenge. While the Yoon administration has made strides in building up multilateral security structures like the Quad, it must be mindful of the need to maintain the economic ties with Beijing.
Younger voters seem to be less attached to this view. This new generation has more diverse views of the world, and its values and worldview are evolving. This is evident in the recent rise of K-pop and the rising global appeal of its cultural exports. It's too early to tell if these factors will influence the future of South Korea's foreign policy. It is worth keeping an eye on them.
South Korea's diplomatic-pragmatic approach towards North Korea
South Korea must strike a delicate balance in order to shield itself from rogue states and to avoid getting caught up in power battles with its larger neighbors. It must also consider the trade-offs that are made between values and interests especially when it comes to aiding non-democratic nations and collaborating with human rights activists. In this regard, the Yoon administration's diplomatic and pragmatic approach to North Korea is a significant departure from previous administrations.
As one of the world's most active pivotal states South Korea must strive for multilateral engagement as a way of establishing itself in a regional and global security network. In the first two years of its office the Yoon administration has actively strengthened relations with democratic allies and increased participation in multilateral and minilateral forums. These initiatives include the first Korea-Pacific Islands Summit as well as the second Asia-Pacific Summit for Democracy.
These efforts may seem like incremental steps however they have enabled Seoul to make use of its new alliances to advance its views on global and regional issues. The 2023 Summit for Democracy, for instance, highlighted the importance and necessity of democratic reform and practice to tackle issues such as corruption, digital transformation, and transparency. The summit also announced the execution of $100 million worth of development cooperation initiatives for democracy, such as e-governance and anti-corruption efforts.
In addition the Yoon government has actively engaged with countries and organizations with similar values and goals to help support its vision of the creation of a global security network. These countries and organizations include the United States, Japan, China as well as the European Union, ASEAN members and Pacific Island nations. These actions may have been criticized by progressives as lacking in pragmatism and values, however, they can help South Korea build a more solid toolkit for foreign policy in dealing with rogue states like North Korea.
The emphasis placed on values by GPS however it could put Seoul into a strategic bind if it is forced to make a choice between values and interests. The government's concern for human rights and its refusal to deport North Koreans convicted of crimes could cause to it, for example to prioritize policies that are not democratic in Korea. This is particularly true if the government is faced with a situation like that of Kwon Pyong, a Chinese activist who sought asylum in South Korea.
South Korea's trilateral partnership with Japan
In the midst a rising global uncertainty and a shaky global economy, trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and China is an opportunity for Northeast Asia. Although the three countries share a security interest in North Korea's nuclear threat, they also share a strong economic stake in establishing safe and secure supply chains and expanding trade opportunities. The three countries' return in their annual summit at the highest level every year is an obvious indication of their desire to push for more economic integration and cooperation.
However, the future of their alliance will be tested by a number of issues. The most pressing is the issue of how to tackle the issue of human rights violations that have been committed by the Japanese and Korean militaries in their respective colonies. The three leaders agreed to work together to resolve these issues and create a joint procedure for preventing and reprimanding human rights abuses.
A third issue is to find a compromise between the competing interests of the three countries of East Asia. This is crucial in ensuring stability in the region as well as dealing with China's growing influence. In the past trilateral security cooperation was often hindered by disputes over historical and territorial issues. These disputes continue to exist despite recent signs of pragmatic stabilization.
For instance, the summit was briefly tainted by North Korea's announcement that it would attempt to launch a satellite during the summit, and also by Japan's decision to extend its military drills with South Korea and the U.S., which drew protests from Beijing.
프라그마틱 슬롯 offer a window of opportunity to revitalize the trilateral relationship, but it will require the leadership and commitment of President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida to bring it to fruition. If they fail to do so and they don't, the current trilateral cooperation will only be a temporary relief in an otherwise rocky future. If the current pattern continues, in the long run, the three countries may be at odds with each other due to their security interests. In this case the only way that the trilateral partnership can last is if each country overcomes its own barriers to achieve peace and prosperity.
South Korea's trilateral cooperation with China
The Ninth China-Japan-Korea Trilateral Summit wrapped up this week with the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China signing a number of important and tangible outcomes. The Summit's outcomes include a Joint Declaration, a Statement on Future Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, and an agreement on Trilateral Intellectual property Cooperation. These documents are notable for their lofty goals, which, in some cases run counter to the collaboration between Tokyo and Seoul with the United States.
The aim is to establish a framework of multilateral cooperation that is to the benefit of all three countries. The projects will include low-carbon transformations, innovative technologies for an aging population and joint responses to global issues such as climate changes, food security, and epidemics. It would also concentrate on enhancing people-to-people interactions and the establishment of a trilateral innovation cooperation center.
These efforts will also help improve stability in the area. South Korea must maintain a positive relationship with China and Japan. This is especially important when dealing with regional issues such as North Korean provocations, tensions in the Taiwan Strait and Sino-American rivalry. A decline in relations with one of these countries could lead to instability in the other which could negatively impact trilateral collaboration with both.
It is important however that the Korean government draws clear distinctions between bilateral and trilateral engagement with either of these countries. A clear distinction will reduce the negative impact of a strained relationship with either China or Japan on trilateral relations with both.
China's primary goal is to get support from Seoul and Tokyo in opposition to the possible protectionist policies by the new U.S. Administration. This is reflected in China's emphasis on economic cooperation. Additionally, Beijing is likely hoping to stop security cooperation with the United States from undermining the importance of its own trilateral economic and military relationships with these East Asian allies. This is a strategic decision to counter the threat posed by U.S. protectionism and create a platform to counter it with other powers.