[100 Days of Yoon Administration] Strengthening the ROK-US Alliance as the Basis for Korean Peninsula Diplomacy Policy

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] Since his inauguration, President Yoon Suk-yeol has been recognized for pursuing diplomatic policies with key countries on the Korean Peninsula, including the United States, Japan, China, and Russia, under a clear principle of developing the Korea-US alliance into a ‘global comprehensive strategic alliance.’

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Beyond defense, he is establishing new relationships with these countries based on a strong Korea-US alliance that extends to economic and technological security cooperation.

President Yoon’s immediate efforts to strengthen the Korea-US alliance upon taking office are regarded as his greatest achievement in diplomacy. He held a summit with the US President just 21 days after his inauguration, the fastest Korea-US summit among all past presidents.

His attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting as his first overseas trip also clearly demonstrated his diplomatic policy.

Invited by NATO, President Yoon was the first Korean president to attend the meeting, firmly expressing his commitment to stand with countries that share the values of liberal democracy amid the reorganization of the global order.

As a result of these efforts to strengthen the Korea-US alliance, in the economic sector, South Korea joined the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a new economic cooperation framework led by the US to counter China, and also agreed to participate in a preliminary meeting of Chip 4, a semiconductor-related consultative body.

In terms of security, South Korea accepted changes to the “three no’s” policy and strengthened Korea-US-Japan trilateral cooperation, while in the economic field, it effectively accepted the US demand to reorganize global supply chains to suppress China’s challenges.

Professor Kim Hyun-wook of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy said, "Now is the time to demonstrate diplomatic capabilities befitting our national power as a global pivotal state," and added, "President Yoon’s attendance at the NATO summit was a rational choice from this perspective."

However, as US-China rivalry intensifies, China’s sensitive reactions to issues such as Chip 4 and THAAD have become a significant burden on the Yoon administration’s China diplomacy strategy.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Woo Jeong-yeop, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, emphasized, "The government needs to evaluate and analyze how Chip 4 affects our national interests and whether China’s backlash is justified," and added, "It is necessary to clearly explain to China that discussions on semiconductors with Japan, Taiwan, and others are not policies aimed at isolating China."

Accordingly, diplomatic circles diagnose that the Yoon administration will need a cautious and coordinated response that carefully considers the strategic interests of both the US and China.

Shin Jong-ho, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said, "Although the government emphasizes the need for mutual respect and cooperation between Korea and China, China, based on its identity as a major power, may force Korea to make strategic choices or strongly demand neutrality between the US and China," and added, "Our government must continuously declare the principles of prioritizing national interests and the path of liberal democracy on bilateral and multilateral diplomatic stages."

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