Former Ambassador Wi Seong-rak: "Quad missed the opportunity... Should consider associate membership even without direct participation"

Ambassador Wi Seong-rak, former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Russia, is being interviewed at a cafe in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Wi Seong-rak, former ambassador to Russia and a leading expert on U.S. and Russian strategy in Korea (former head of the Korea Peace Negotiation Headquarters), evaluated South Korea's participation in the East Asian security cooperation framework centered on the U.S., the Quad, as having "missed the right timing." He recommended exploring participation as a quasi-member even if direct membership in the Quad is not pursued.

In a recent interview with Asia Economy regular contributor Professor Hwang Jae-ho of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Department of International Studies and this newspaper's reporter, former Ambassador Wi said, "Currently, China has already defined the Quad as an 'anti-China coalition,' and until now, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs ministers have taken a negative stance toward the Quad, to the extent of saying 'joining the Quad is not a good idea.' Because of this, our current participation in the Quad carries risks."

The joint statement by the South Korea-U.S. leaders released after the interview included the phrase 'recognition of the importance of the Quad,' which means our government now faces the task of cooperating with the Quad in some form. Former Ambassador Wi advised, "Even now, we can consider finding areas to cooperate with the Quad on specific issues or choosing to participate as a second-tier quasi-member without direct involvement."

Former Ambassador Wi diagnosed that the situation arose because the government has failed to establish a clear position between the U.S. and China. He urged, "Even if it is difficult, a decision must be made," emphasizing that South Korea should choose a position and direction that is not aligned solely with either the U.S. or China. He said, "The THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) issue was partly caused by Korea. The need for defense against North Korean missiles was first raised during the Kim Dae-jung administration, and at that time, the framework between the U.S. and China should have been clearly established."

Former Ambassador Wi compared diplomatic consistency to a clock hand. While the U.S. tries to pull Korea toward the 3 o'clock direction and China toward 9 o'clock, Korea has been wavering. He said, "Japan has chosen around 2 o'clock, Australia around 2:30, and India around 12:30, maintaining consistency," advising that even with changes in administration, Korea should consistently maintain a position around 1 o'clock.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.