{"id":2200978,"date":"2023-05-10T17:38:24","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T08:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200978"},"modified":"2023-05-11T18:06:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T09:06:54","slug":"evaluating-the-successes-and-failures-of-yoon-suk-yeols-first-year-in-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/evaluating-the-successes-and-failures-of-yoon-suk-yeols-first-year-in-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating the successes and failures of Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s first year in office"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office one year ago today, and the administration has had both successes and failures in that time.<\/span><\/p>\n Key areas of focus include foreign policy, fostering economic growth, promoting freedom and human rights, enhancing South Korea\u2019s international leadership and addressing societal divisions and conflict.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While his foreign policy has largely aligned with his campaign promises \u2014 namely to mend ties with the U.S. and Japan \u2014 his success in implementing his economic policies and vision has been less apparent.<\/span><\/p>\n FOREIGN POLICY<\/b><\/p>\n In his <\/span>inaugural address<\/span><\/a>, Yoon vowed to steer South Korea away from what he termed \u201canti-intellectualism,\u201d a pointed critique of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, whom he has often characterized as an ideologue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon has also frequently accused Moon of pursuing a \u201c<\/span>fake peace<\/span><\/a>\u201d with North Korea. While the efficacy of the 2018-19 period of engagement with the DPRK remains a matter of debate, inter-Korean relations haven\u2019t progressed an inch since Yoon took office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n North Korea spurned what Seoul calls an \u201c<\/span>audacious<\/span><\/a>\u201d initiative to coax Pyongyang back to denuclearization talks with economic incentives, flatly rejecting such a scheme because the <\/span>ruling Kim family<\/span><\/a> \u201chates Yoon Suk-yeol as a human.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n His diplomatic efforts with Washington and Tokyo have been more fruitful, though lacking significant domestic backing.<\/span><\/p>\n Upon assuming office, Yoon underscored shared values and freedom, advocating for South Korea to take a more prominent role in promoting global freedom and human rights.<\/span><\/p>\n U.S.-South Korea relations faced challenges during the Trump and Moon administrations, but Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden have worked to remedy those frayed relations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Although disagreements persist over the <\/span>Inflation Reduction Act<\/span><\/a> (IRA) and the <\/span>U.S. CHIPS and Science Act<\/span><\/a>, the alliance has strengthened through Seoul\u2019s participation in the U.S.-led <\/span>Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity<\/span><\/a> (IPEF) and Washington\u2019s commitment to enhancing its <\/span>extended deterrence<\/span><\/a> for South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon\u2019s outreach to Tokyo has also yielded improvements in relations between South Korea and Japan, which were at a nadir in recent years. The resumption of <\/span>shuttle<\/span><\/a> diplomacy<\/span><\/a> between the two countries is expected to <\/span>revitalize<\/span><\/a> trade<\/span><\/a> and enhance cooperation on <\/span>supply chain<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>joint security<\/span><\/a> issues.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Yoon\u2019s emphasis on values-based diplomacy has put South Korea at odds with its largest trade partner, China, as well as Russia. His <\/span>suggestion<\/span><\/a> that Seoul could provide more than humanitarian assistance to Ukraine drew Moscow\u2019s ire, while his comparison of Taiwan to North Korea and his assertion that peace in the Taiwan Strait is a global issue elicited strong reactions from Beijing.<\/span><\/p>\n