The Diplomatic Axis on the Korean Peninsula Changes... China Also Included as a Cooperation Partner

Government to Announce 'Indo-Pacific Strategy' Today
"China Is Both a Partner and Our Neighbor"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Chae-eun Koo, Ki-min Lee] On the 28th, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration announced the ‘Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Strategy,’ which the government expects to serve as a turning point for expanding South Korea’s diplomatic stance?previously limited to the Korean Peninsula due to the North Korean issue, the biggest challenge since the Korean War?into the Indo-Pacific region.

Foreign Minister Park Jin, in his keynote speech at the Indo-Pacific Strategy briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul that afternoon, described South Korea’s first Indo-Pacific strategy as "a watershed moment in the history of our country’s foreign policy," adding, "South Korea will now set its strategic horizon beyond the Korean Peninsula." Minister Park stated, "Since independence, the most important issue has consistently been the North Korean problem following the division of the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, diplomatic matters directly affecting the peninsula have always been prioritized over other global regional issues."

He continued, "This was natural during the Cold War era and when the Korean Peninsula did not have significant influence in the international community, but now that South Korea has joined the ranks of advanced countries, focusing solely on issues related to Korea and its periphery is no longer feasible." The focus of South Korea’s diplomatic strategy is shifting from resolving the Korean Peninsula issue to the Indo-Pacific region, and the announcement of the Indo-Pacific strategy is an important milestone for this shift.

Minister Park assessed the current reality of the Indo-Pacific region, stating, "Concerns are rising as democracy is retreating and universal values such as freedom, rule of law, and human rights are being challenged," and added, "Geopolitical competition surrounding diplomacy and security, economy and technology, values and norms is deteriorating the incentives for cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries." While the free trade-based international order has supported prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, "it is now being replaced by a new economic order, frequently pushing commercial considerations behind security concerns," he also noted.

Minister Park declared, "We will respect principles and norms to become a trustworthy partner for cooperation both within and outside the region," and said, "We will pursue mutually beneficial cooperation based on the recognition that engagement benefiting all parties is the most effective." He especially added, "We aim to share our experiences in economic development and democratization and provide tangible benefits to partner countries by leveraging our unique strengths such as technology and cultural competitiveness." The briefing was attended by many, including Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea, members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, and academics.

South Korean Government Announces Its First Independent Regional Diplomatic Strategy

Earlier, the government released the final version of the Indo-Pacific strategy. The plan is to expand diplomatic space and increase regional roles, marking the first time the South Korean government has prepared an independent regional diplomatic strategy.

Unlike previous government regional initiatives limited to the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia issues, the new plan broadens the perspective to the Indo-Pacific region and aims to strengthen strategic cooperation on regional and global issues.

This report concretizes the ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy’ announced by President Yoon at the Korea-ASEAN Summit on the 11th of last month. Kim Sung-han, Director of the National Security Office, said at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, "It reflects the values of freedom and solidarity that President Yoon specifically mentioned, projecting them onto the Indo-Pacific," emphasizing, "Freedom and solidarity are core values consistently highlighted by the President in his inauguration speech, August 15 Liberation Day address, UN General Assembly speech, and ASEAN meetings." He added, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy details how the administration views the region and the direction of cooperation to maximize our national interests." The final Indo-Pacific strategy report was released.

The 37-page report unveiled that day presented nine key priority tasks to realize this vision. The nine tasks are: ▲ Establishing an order based on norms and rules ▲ Cooperation to promote rule of law and human rights ▲ Strengthening non-proliferation and counter-terrorism cooperation ▲ Expanding comprehensive security cooperation ▲ Expanding economic security networks ▲ Enhancing cooperation in advanced science and technology and contributing to reducing the regional digital divide ▲ Leading regional cooperation on climate change and energy security ▲ Active contribution diplomacy through tailored development cooperation partnerships ▲ Promoting mutual understanding and cultural and human exchanges.

The Presidential Office emphasized in the report that "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy adopts universal values such as freedom, rule of law, and human rights as core elements of our foreign strategy and stresses solidarity and cooperation among countries sharing these values," adding, "This will strengthen the rules-based regional order and contribute to securing our national interests."

The Presidential Office also distanced itself from interpretations that the Indo-Pacific strategy excludes China, emphasizing that ‘inclusiveness’ is one of the key elements of the strategy. The report states, "In achieving prosperity and peace in the Indo-Pacific region, we will pursue common interests with China, a major cooperative country, based on mutual respect and reciprocity according to international norms and rules, and work to realize a healthier and more mature Korea-China relationship."

A senior official from the Presidential Office responded to the question, "At what points does cooperation with China occur?" by saying, "Refusing cooperation with our neighbor China is quite far from reality," and added, "One of the main principles of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy is inclusiveness. It is far from excluding or containing any specific country." Meanwhile, the government will provide detailed explanations at an official briefing attended by foreign envoys and academics in Korea that afternoon. Foreign Minister Park Jin will deliver a keynote speech explaining the significance of establishing the Indo-Pacific strategy.

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