{"id":2201829,"date":"2023-07-28T17:00:46","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T08:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201829"},"modified":"2023-07-31T17:01:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T08:01:52","slug":"south-koreas-quest-for-global-pivotal-status-a-leap-or-overreach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/07\/south-koreas-quest-for-global-pivotal-status-a-leap-or-overreach\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s quest for global pivotal status: A leap or overreach?"},"content":{"rendered":"
At the outset of his term, President Yoon Suk-yeol outlined his vision for South Korea as a \u201cglobal pivotal state\u201d (GPS). However, South Korea\u2019s absence from key groupings like the Quad, AUKUS and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) raises questions about how pivotal the country truly is in global affairs.<\/span><\/p>\n This concept has become a cornerstone of Yoon\u2019s speeches. He and his officials articulated the phrase most recently in last month\u2019s <\/span>National Security Strategy<\/span><\/a>, underscoring the intent to align South Korea\u2019s foreign policy with its rising economic, military and soft power.<\/span><\/p>\n In an era when many world leaders tread lightly around ideological issues, Yoon\u2019s policy explicitly promotes liberal democratic values. The Yoon administration labels these as \u201cuniversal values,\u201d encompassing freedom, human rights and the rule of law.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon\u2019s strategy suggests a recalibration from Seoul\u2019s traditionally peninsula-centric focus toward a more expansive, global role.<\/span><\/p>\n RAISING KOREA\u2019S GLOBAL PROFILE<\/b><\/p>\n Yoon\u2019s appearance at the NATO Summit in Lithuania \u2014 his second NATO summit meeting \u2014 underscored his perspective that global security and economic issues are interconnected. While the National Security Strategy indicates Pyongyang as the principal threat to Seoul, it is noteworthy that the assessment begins with an overview of the global security environment, progresses to the Indo-Pacific and focuses on the Korean Peninsula last.<\/span><\/p>\n While in Lithuania, Yoon <\/span>endorsed<\/span><\/a> cooperation with NATO and a \u201cleading role in the regional security of the Indo-Pacific\u201d for the Asia Pacific 4 \u2014 South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. This alignment suggests that Yoon perceives strengthened relationships with Europe and other international partners as a mechanism for counterbalancing an increasingly assertive China.<\/span><\/p>\n China has <\/span>reacted sharply<\/span><\/a> to what it perceives as anti-China coalition building, such as groupings like AUKUS, the Quad and NATO. Reflecting this view, its embassy in Japan recently <\/span>asserted<\/span><\/a> that NATO\u2019s \u201cplan to expand into the Asia-Pacific violates U.N. rules.\u201d The sentiment mirrors China\u2019s stance that NATO\u2019s expansion into Eastern Europe fueled Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n This exchange pinpoints the fundamental challenge inherent in Seoul\u2019s GPS vision. From a security perspective, while Yoon\u2019s efforts to elevate South Korea\u2019s global profile resonate with the U.S. and the West, these moves will likely further estrange its close neighbors China, Russia and the DPRK.<\/span><\/p>\n Like his predecessors, Yoon understands that the bedrock of South Korea\u2019s foreign policy is its alliance with the U.S. Capitalizing on former President Moon Jae-In\u2019s groundwork during his last two years in office, Yoon has fortified this relationship and further burnished South Korea\u2019s standing in the U.S. His rendition of \u201cAmerican Pie\u201d during his White House visit certainly didn\u2019t harm his public image.<\/span><\/p>\n Yet unlike Moon, Yoon has also made a deliberate effort to restore South Korea\u2019s diplomatic ties with Japan, investing substantial political capital to convince South Koreans and the Japanese that their shared interests outweigh their differences.<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon has also reached out to other middle-power partners like Australia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, France and the U.K.\u00a0 He worked hard to secure the ROK\u2019s invitation to this year\u2019s G7 Summit. He has also taken steps to bridge the global North-South divide, forging a \u201c<\/span>K-rice belt<\/span><\/a>\u201d with eight African nations and hosting a successful <\/span>inaugural summit<\/span><\/a> with Pacific Island leaders.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite these strides, South Korea remains outside the Quad and AUKUS. Neither group has extended an invitation to Seoul, and it is probable that all parties prefer the status quo. South Korea\u2019s security anchor remains its U.S. alliance. Given the nuclear-powered submarine focus of AUKUS, South Korea has no strategic necessity to join. Involvement in AUKUS or the Quad would further strain Seoul\u2019s relationship with Beijing, with little obvious upside.<\/span><\/p>\n