Park Jin: "Indo-Pacific Strategy is the 'Yoon Doctrine'... Will Become a Turning Point in South Korean Diplomacy"

Park Jin "Will Expand Horizons Beyond the Korean Peninsula"

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Foreign Minister Park Jin evaluated Korea's first Indo-Pacific strategy announced on the 28th as a turning point in the history of diplomatic policy, stating, "Korea will now set its strategic horizon beyond the Korean Peninsula."

The focus of diplomatic strategy is shifting from resolving the Korean Peninsula issue to the Indo-Pacific region, and the announcement of the Indo-Pacific strategy will serve as a milestone in this regard. As Korea's status rises, the time has come to 'redefine' its roles and responsibilities, and the Indo-Pacific strategy will be the starting point.

In his keynote speech at the Indo-Pacific strategy briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the afternoon of the same day, Minister Park said, "Through proactive Korean diplomacy, we will usher in a new era. This can be called the 'doctrine' of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's foreign policy," emphasizing its significance. Seemingly to preempt potential conflicts with China following the announcement of the Indo-Pacific strategy, he stated, "We will strengthen and uphold a rules-based international order together with regional and extra-regional partner countries." He added, "We oppose resolving disputes by force. Disputes should be resolved through dialogue based on international norms and rules, which is a long-standing diplomatic tradition of our country."

Minister Park diagnosed, "Since independence and the division of the Korean Peninsula, the most important issue has consistently been the North Korea problem. Therefore, diplomatic matters directly affecting the Korean Peninsula have always been prioritized over other global regional issues." He continued, "This was natural during the Cold War and when the Korean Peninsula's influence in the international community was limited, but now that Korea has joined the ranks of advanced countries, focusing solely on Korea and its periphery is no longer feasible."

Minister Park also stated, "Our country, which once started as one of the poorest nations and has become an OECD donor country, is ready to support the aspirations of other countries in the region for national development and economic growth," adding, "In that sense, the war in Ukraine is not someone else's issue."

Regarding the current reality of the Indo-Pacific region, he pointed out, "Concerns are rising as democracy is retreating and universal values such as freedom, rule of law, and human rights are being challenged," and noted, "Geopolitical competition surrounding diplomacy and security, economy and technology, values and norms is deteriorating the incentives for cooperation among Indo-Pacific countries."

He then mentioned, "In this situation, our Indo-Pacific strategy aims to build a multilayered and comprehensive network of cooperation to counter challenges to regional freedom, peace, and prosperity."

Minister Park emphasized, "We will be a trustworthy partner for cooperation by respecting principles and norms for both regional and extra-regional countries," and added, "Recognizing that engagement benefiting all parties is the most effective, we will pursue mutually beneficial cooperation."

The briefing was attended by many, including Xing Haiming, the Chinese Ambassador to Korea, members of the diplomatic corps in Korea, and academics.

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