Pursuing Supply Chain Diversification to Reduce Dependence on Specific Countries... Yoon Calls for "Multifaceted Diplomacy" (Comprehensive)

G7 Highlights 'Economic Sector' as Key Achievement, Emphasizes "Reducing Dependence and Building Supply Chain Partnerships"
Establishing Rule of Law as 'Global Korea'... "Citizens Won't Tolerate, Police Must Enforce Law Strictly"
Yoon's Approval Rating Rises... Leading with Diplomatic Success, Accelerating 3 Major Reforms and Core Tasks of Yoon Government

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 23rd, "We must establish supply chain cooperation relationships based on shared values and trust with more countries." This implies reducing excessive dependence on specific countries to minimize economic variables influenced by diplomatic situations, effectively shifting the China-centric economic structure towards the G7 or developing countries to ensure supply chain stability. To this end, President Yoon emphasized the necessity of 'multidimensional diplomacy.' Since today's national interests cannot be defined unilaterally, it is essential to consider the complex intertwining of security issues, economic issues, and others.

At the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the morning of the same day, President Yoon identified the core outcome of the G7 Summit, held from the 19th for two nights and three days, as the 'economic sector,' evaluating that "a solid cooperative foundation among governments was established in economic security areas such as supply chain stability and securing critical minerals, as well as in advanced industries like bio and semiconductors."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Once again acted as a salesperson"... Emphasizing 'Supply Chain Diversification' and Proposing Cooperative Relationships

President Yoon attended the G7 Summit and held bilateral meetings with leaders from a total of nine countries. Through these, he discussed global cooperation measures including diplomacy, security, economy, and support for underdeveloped countries, and elevated economic security cooperation with the United States and Japan to a higher level. As the first Korean president, he left a meaningful legacy by jointly paying respects with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Korean atomic bomb victim memorial in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Notably, President Yoon held his first summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who made a sudden visit to Hiroshima during the G7 Summit, further clarifying the Korean government's stance to base its international diplomacy on 'value diplomacy.'

At the Cabinet meeting that day, President Yoon repeatedly emphasized 'the role of the Republic of Korea' to convey the message that Korea has firmly established itself as a global pivotal country. He said, "Today's national interests cannot be defined unilaterally," adding, "Security issues, economic issues, and global agendas such as climate and health cooperation are intricately intertwined, requiring comprehensive and multidimensional diplomacy."

President Yoon also stressed the importance of security. Referring to North Korea, he said, "The most urgent issue for our security now is to block and deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats." He added, "I urged the G7 countries, invited countries, and heads of international organizations to form a strong alliance and cooperation among forces defending freedom and the rule of law."

Regarding the economic achievements through the G7 Summit, he attributed significance to each outcome, saying, "Once again, I acted as a salesperson for the Republic of Korea." President Yoon elaborated, "The way for our economy, which has the highest level of external dependence, is clear. We have established a solid cooperative foundation among governments in economic security areas such as supply chain stability and securing critical minerals, as well as in advanced industries like bio and semiconductors."

He identified 'supply chain diversification' as the core. Recalling the 'de-risking' mentioned by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Yoon emphasized, "We must build supply chain cooperation relationships based on values and trust with more countries." During the G7 schedule, President Yoon held bilateral talks with Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Australia, countries rich in critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. He also met with Japan and Germany, strong countries in materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang), conveying the will to diversify and stabilize supply chains.

He also touched on the importance of science and technology. President Yoon explained, "All G7 countries are science and technology powerhouses. Now, they hope to cooperate closely with our country in advanced industries such as semiconductors, batteries, bio, aerospace, and nuclear power. We have agreed to concretize customized cooperation measures."

"Global Korea must uphold the rule of law"... Pointing to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and urging the government for 'law enforcement'

On the same day, President Yoon also expressed the position that "ideology or political logic must not dominate the market" to maximize these diplomatic achievements. This means depoliticization, de-ideologization, and science-based normalization. President Yoon said, "We are rapidly rebuilding our nuclear power capabilities, which were on the verge of collapse due to the previous administration's nuclear phase-out policy."

He also stated that establishing liberal democracy and the rule of law is a challenge that global Korea must solve. In particular, he strongly criticized the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (Minnochoong) for their assembly behavior, saying, "The assembly behavior of Minnochoong, which infringes on citizens' freedom and basic rights and disrupts public order, will be difficult for the public to tolerate." Pointing out the traffic paralysis in downtown Seoul caused by Minnochoong's large-scale rallies over one night and two days last week, he said, "Our constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly and demonstration, and I, as president, have respected this. However, guaranteeing the freedom of assembly and demonstration does not mean justifying acts that infringe on others' freedom and basic rights or disrupt public order."

He continued, "Past governments practically gave up police authority against illegal assemblies and demonstrations, resulting in noise from loudspeakers and road occupations reaching levels that the public finds intolerable," criticizing the previous Moon Jae-in administration as well. President Yoon warned Minnochoong, "Our government will not overlook or tolerate any illegal acts." He added, "I urge the police and related officials to strictly enforce the law against illegal acts," promising, "The state will strongly support and protect law enforcement officials who faithfully perform their duties from suffering or disadvantages caused by offenders."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Presidential Office Accelerates Reform Tasks Based on Rising Approval Ratings

The Presidential Office plans to further solidify its domestic support base through a series of major diplomatic activities by the president, starting with the Korea-Japan summit in March. The presidential aides believe that quickly deriving tangible benefits from economy-centered diplomatic activities will have an immediate impact on the domestic economy. On the day, President Yoon also urged, "The government must create an environment where our companies and citizens can actively engage in business activities and freely exchange on the international stage."

Public opinion is shifting. According to a Realmeter poll released the previous day, conducted from the 15th to the 19th, President Yoon's positive evaluation of state affairs was 39%, with a negative evaluation of 57.9%. Compared to the previous survey, the positive rating rose by 2.2 percentage points, marking the first time since his inauguration that President Yoon's approval rating increased for four consecutive weeks in this survey. Earlier, a Gallup Korea poll conducted from the 16th to the 18th among 1,000 adults nationwide showed a 37% positive evaluation of President Yoon's job performance, up 2 percentage points from the previous week.

A senior official from the Presidential Office stated, "The government and the Presidential Office's principle is to continue the government policy unwaveringly without being shaken by public opinion poll figures," but political circles expect that the current upward trend will accelerate the three major reforms (labor, pension, education) centered on the Presidential Office. President Yoon has repeatedly emphasized the need for reforms. This is to support the three major reforms, which have been stalled at the legislative stage due to the National Assembly, and the promotion of key state affairs of the Yoon administration. Considering the National Assembly situation, the Presidential Office appears to be focusing on persuading the public first. Regarding labor reform, the necessity of reform is emphasized against illegal acts such as 'hereditary vested interests,' and the government also conveys that education and pension reforms are choices for the 'future generation.' Another Presidential Office official said, "We will collect various voices so that all citizens can understand the necessity of reform," adding, "We will continue efforts to persuade not only the public but also the National Assembly."

Meanwhile, detailed information about the public opinion polls used in the above article can be found on the website of the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission.

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