Overseas Tour No. 13... Economic Gains Achieved but 'Tilted Diplomacy'

'Korea's First Salesperson' Performance Report
Completion of 13th Tour to 19 Countries
Sales to Allies Including US, Japan, Middle East
Achievements in Economy, Supply Chain, Security Cooperation
$30 Billion Investment Agreement in UAE
$50.2 Billion Including Middle Eastern Countries

President Yoon Suk-yeol concluded his state visit to the Netherlands on the 15th and returned home, wrapping up a total of 13 overseas trips this year. Despite criticism over frequent trips amid complex domestic issues, he increased engagement with key allied countries such as the United States, Japan, and the Middle East's big three (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), securing security and economic benefits. However, concerns have been raised that his diplomacy, biased toward US-Japan relations, could weaken South Korea's mid- to long-term competitiveness on the global stage, and that superficial diplomacy might reveal limitations in deepening inter-state cooperation. Nonetheless, the presidential office hinted at changes, stating, "Based on the achievements of President Yoon meeting various heads of state this year to discuss economic, supply chain, and security cooperation, we will set the direction of summit diplomacy to achieve more tangible benefits starting next year."

President Yoon, who has dubbed himself "South Korea's No. 1 salesperson," undertook a total of 13 trips to 19 countries (15 countries excluding duplicates) from January to December this year to realize sales diplomacy and the vision of a global pivotal nation. The total budget spent was 57.8 billion KRW. He made state visits to seven countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January, the United States in April, Vietnam in June, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in October, the United Kingdom in November, and the Netherlands in December, while also utilizing shuttle diplomacy with Japan to restore economic cooperation.

All overseas trips focused on economic outcomes such as securing supply chains, overseas orders, and cooperation in advanced industries. Diplomatically, efforts were concentrated on concretizing the Korean version of the Indo-Pacific strategy and enhancing extended deterrence cooperation against North Korea, which is advancing its nuclear and missile development.

Significant achievements were made during single-country visits. Following the January state visit to the UAE, where the government and companies secured $30 billion in investments, the October state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar resulted in contracts and MOUs worth $15.6 billion and $4.6 billion respectively, totaling $50.2 billion (approximately 70 trillion KRW) in economic gains. Including contracts and MOUs worth $29 billion signed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to South Korea last November, the total reaches $79.2 billion (approximately 107 trillion KRW). Visits to semiconductor powerhouses and allied countries such as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands?leaders in materials, parts, equipment, design, and semiconductor talent?helped build cooperative networks. With the addition of highly competitive semiconductor allies, it is expected that South Korea will strengthen its ability to proactively address geopolitical and supply chain risks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The outcomes of multilateral meetings have been mixed. While the presidential office places significance on the contacts between heads of state themselves, opposition parties have criticized the lack of tangible benefits. Despite President Yoon personally leading efforts to host the Expo, meeting a total of 462 people including 110 heads of state from 96 countries from last year through last month, and spending 574.4 billion KRW, the bid ended in a 'crushing defeat.' The president issued an apology, and personnel changes with accountability followed. Political circles express concerns that the failure to host the Expo will undermine the president's ability to control state affairs and weaken the momentum of government-led national projects.

However, there is also a positive evaluation that volatile contacts need to be accumulated from a mid- to long-term perspective. The participation in multilateral meetings provided an opportunity to actively conduct summit diplomacy with developing and emerging industrial countries, laying the groundwork for supply chain cooperation. President Yoon attended the NATO summit, United Nations General Assembly, ASEAN summit, and G20 summit for the second consecutive year, and visited the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit for the first time. Taking this opportunity, bilateral talks were held with emerging industrial and developing countries rich in mineral resources, agreeing to expand official development assistance (ODA) for support in agricultural technology, infrastructure, and ICT.

Of course, the bias toward diplomacy with traditional allies such as the United States and Japan is a limitation shown by the Yoon administration. Although North Korea has advanced its missile development and strengthened military cooperation with Russia, and despite President Yoon's focus on US-Japan diplomacy, the positions of China and Russia on the North Korean nuclear issue remain unchanged. This has led to concerns that the US-Japan biased diplomacy will become further entrenched, and that the president's increasingly strong rhetoric could trigger a vicious cycle.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, pointed out, "For South Korea, a divided yet trade-dependent country, what is important is the stable management of the Korean Peninsula situation and the virtuous cycle of peace and economy." He added, "Although the UN aimed to change North Korea through pressure and sanctions, the lack of cooperation from permanent Security Council members Russia and China has rendered these sanctions ineffective." He continued, "What matters is how the public perceives summit diplomacy. A considerable number of citizens feel that President Yoon's overseas trips have not elevated the nation's status."

Since this diplomacy has proceeded in a direction differentiated from the previous administration, some opinions suggest that it should be observed further. A representative example is the secret visit to Ukraine during the July visit to Poland, where President Yoon witnessed the horrors of war and held a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, agreeing to promote the 'Ukraine Peace Solidarity Initiative,' encompassing security, humanitarian, and reconstruction support. This was the first time in constitutional history that a sitting president visited a wartime country where South Korean troops are not stationed.

A presidential office official stated, "Diplomacy between heads of state cannot be interpreted solely by short-term results," adding, "Since our government will serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and chair the Korea-Africa Summit next year, we will consider the roles to be played accordingly."

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