How South Korea’s transactional diplomacy threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships



Analysis How South Korea’s transactional diplomacy threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships The juggling of regional cooperation values and European economic interests could impact Seoul’s international standing John LeeJuly 14, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol participates in the NATO summit in Lithuania on July 12, 2023 \| Image: ROK Presidential Office South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called on NATO’s three other Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, Australia and New Zealand — to establish a “strong collective security posture” to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats this week. Yoon’s remarks came in a meeting with leaders of the AP4, the name used for the four NATO partners as a collective. The partnership offers South Korea access to arms sales and collective bargaining power, enabling participation in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction plans. However, this relationship appears to be primarily transactional, contingent upon the immediate benefits that Seoul can derive rather than shared values and © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01South Korea bank hacks expose weak links beyond core financial systems 02Lee-Zelensky feud exposes South Korea’s widening Ukraine policy dilemma 03Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump 04Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls 05North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy 06South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus 07AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline 08South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics

Analysis

How South Korea’s transactional diplomacy threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships

The juggling of regional cooperation values and European economic interests could impact Seoul’s international standing

John LeeJuly 14, 2023

How South Korea’s transactional diplomacy threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol participates in the NATO summit in Lithuania on July 12, 2023 | Image: ROK Presidential Office

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called on NATO’s three other Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, Australia and New Zealand — to establish a “strong collective security posture” to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats this week.

Yoon’s remarks came in a meeting with leaders of the AP4, the name used for the four NATO partners as a collective.

The partnership offers South Korea access to arms sales and collective bargaining power, enabling participation in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction plans. However, this relationship appears to be primarily transactional, contingent upon the immediate benefits that Seoul can derive rather than shared values and

How South Korea’s transactional diplomacy threatens Indo-Pacific partnerships

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John Lee