{"id":2201451,"date":"2023-06-22T19:11:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T10:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201451"},"modified":"2023-06-23T16:22:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T07:22:14","slug":"why-france-korea-ties-remain-underdeveloped-despite-push-to-boost-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/06\/why-france-korea-ties-remain-underdeveloped-despite-push-to-boost-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"Why France-Korea ties remain underdeveloped despite push to boost cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol spent three days in Paris this week, meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss <\/span>pressing economic and strategic issues<\/span><\/a> for both nations, as well as their mutual concerns over North Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n The ROK leader embarked on a diplomatic charm offensive to rally support for Busan\u2019s bid to host the 2030 World Expo, and in advance of his visit, the first by a South Korean president since 2018, Yoon penned an <\/span>op-ed<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>Le Figaro<\/span><\/i> newspaper to advocate for stronger bilateral partnerships between France and South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n There is, indeed, untapped potential to improve bilateral relations, particularly when it comes to economic cooperation. But while Seoul and Paris may be keen to boost their partnership, the success of their efforts will depend in large part on buy-in from the business and cultural circles.<\/span><\/p>\n INDO-PACIFIC STRATEGIES<\/b><\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s growing reputation as a global nexus for innovation and <\/span>cutting-edge technology<\/span><\/a>\u00a0may have placed it higher on the Elysee presidential palace\u2019s foreign relations priority list, and the two countries have more in common than a first glance might suggest.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is potential for partnerships that have never really been exploited, either by France or South Korea,\u201d Antoine Bondaz, a researcher at France\u2019s Foundation for Strategic Research, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>, assessing that France has historically overlooked Seoul in favor of relations with Japan or China.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite this, there are striking commonalities between the Indo-Pacific strategies of <\/span>France<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>ROK<\/span><\/a>, published in 2021 and 2022, respectively. These include their approach toward Beijing and concerted efforts to forge deeper ties with other regional nations.<\/span><\/p>\n The French Indo-Pacific strategy points out that China is a significant trading partner and that its trade with the Indo-Pacific region has grown by 49% in the past 10 years, compared to 27% on average globally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, the ROK Indo-Pacific strategy asserts that Seoul seeks to expand its cooperation with China and Japan because the three countries together account for 20% of the world\u2019s population and 25% of the global GDP.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Paris will likely need to clarify its messaging around its foreign policy approach in Asia, particularly following <\/span>statements<\/span><\/a> made by Macron after his visit to China in April. During an interview, Macron asserted that Europe must avoid being drawn into any conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, which he described as \u201ccrises that are not ours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n