{"id":2202103,"date":"2023-08-29T17:00:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T08:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202103"},"modified":"2023-08-30T17:01:25","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T08:01:25","slug":"how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea staked a claim in Ukraine\u2019s postwar reconstruction by harnessing its growing economic relationship with Poland. However, despite the positive optics that might have, particularly in democratic countries in the developed world, there is no guarantee that Seoul\u2019s strategy will succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the memorandums of understanding South Korea <\/span>signed<\/span><\/a> with Poland in July outlined measures to strengthen the two countries\u2019 cooperation efforts for reconstruction and development projects in Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following that measure, Korean public and private sectors will <\/span>offer<\/span><\/a> $52 billion in aid for Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction projects. This move comes at a time when Warsaw and Kyiv have strengthened their relations, which Taras Kuzio, a leading expert on Ukraine, <\/span>described<\/span><\/a> as an \u201cemerging alliance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s <\/span>provision of aid<\/span><\/a> for Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction, particularly at the <\/span>ministerial level<\/span><\/a>, stands as a testament to the Yoon administration\u2019s commitment to its \u201c<\/span>global pivotal state<\/span><\/a>\u201d status despite the main opposition Democratic Party\u2019s lack of enthusiasm for supporting the European country.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korea tentatively <\/span>allocated<\/span><\/a> $393 million (520 billion won) in its state budget on Tuesday to support Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction-related projects.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the depth of this impact rests on two primary aspects: the effectiveness of Seoul\u2019s aid and the extent of Ukraine\u2019s integration with the E.U. after the end of its war with Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n

GRAFT AND CORRUPTION<\/b><\/p>\n

With Poland as its leading trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe, it is natural for South Korea to align with it for Ukraine\u2019s post-conflict reconstruction. Partnering with Warsaw also showcases Seoul\u2019s preference for <\/span>coalition-building<\/span><\/a> to deal with complex global issues, which ROK foreign minister Park Jin referred to as a \u201cpolycrisis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seoul\u2019s stated interest in providing economic aid to Ukraine also highlights South Korea\u2019s intention to use foreign aid as a tool to <\/span>diversify<\/span><\/a> its commercial and diplomatic interests beyond the Asia Pacific. The plan to divide the $52 billion aid package between its public and private sectors also <\/span>mirrors<\/span><\/a> the ROK\u2019s past practice of leveraging such partnerships in its official development assistance (ODA) policies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further, the ROK-Poland partnership\u2019s <\/span>emphasis<\/span><\/a> on Ukraine\u2019s post-war reconstruction efforts aligns with Seoul\u2019s <\/span>belief<\/span><\/a> that focusing on infrastructure projects in its economic outreach to other countries propels its own economic growth. This strategy has benefitted South Korea in <\/span>Vietnam<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>UAE<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>U.S.<\/span><\/a> As there has proven to be a <\/span>correlation<\/span><\/a> between South Korean ODA outflows and a subsequent rise in its exports to those recipient nations, ROK officials likely believe that assisting Ukraine would also result in net economic gains for South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, mere aid provision does not guarantee ideal outcomes for South Korea. This is especially true given that corruption in the ROK\u2019s aid provision has been a particularly serious issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korea\u2019s <\/span>past provision<\/span><\/a> of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) aid to developing countries was motivated by economic and security interests, which led Seoul to favor recipient nations that were poorer and more authoritarian with sub-par governance institutions. As good governance was not central to South Korea\u2019s aid programs, they provided fertile ground for graft.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is noteworthy that South Korea and Ukraine <\/span>had discussed ICT collaboration<\/span><\/a> before Russia invaded the latter in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding complexity, the mere prospect of participating in Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction has <\/span>boosted<\/span><\/a> the stock prices of Korean firms, which likely opens doors for corruption within Seoul\u2019s business sectors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further, Ukraine has also grappled with <\/span>graft<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>corruption<\/span><\/a> for years. If Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities fail to rein in such behavior, it will likely impact South Korea\u2019s enthusiasm for providing aid to Ukraine negatively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

President Yoon Suk-yeol holds a summit meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, July 13, 2023 | Image: ROK Presidential Office<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

ECONOMIC AND GEOPOLITICAL SHIFT<\/b><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Ukraine\u2019s likely post-war alignment with the E.U. will ensure that Seoul remains keen to feature prominently in the country\u2019s reconstruction efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditionally, whether Ukraine would orient itself closer to the West or Russia <\/span>did not factor much<\/span><\/a> into Seoul\u2019s decision to cooperate with Kyiv. As a major grain exporter between Europe and Asia whose economy showed <\/span>steady growth<\/span><\/a> from 2016 to 2019, cooperation with Ukraine would have served South Korea\u2019s interests regardless of which sphere of influence Kyiv fell under.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Seoul\u2019s ambivalence over Kyiv\u2019s orientation and the prospects of large-scale economic cooperation now seems to be a thing of the past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More critical than President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s often repeated <\/span>exhortations<\/span><\/a> of freedom and the rules-based international order, South Korea\u2019s growing partnership with Poland reveals that Seoul presumes post-war Ukraine will firmly tilt toward the E.U., sidestepping Kyiv\u2019s historical <\/span>oscillation<\/span><\/a> between the West and the Russian-led <\/span>Eurasian Economic Union<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given Ukraine\u2019s deep-rooted economic ties with the E.U. and its cultural relations with Russia, it was historically challenging for Ukraine to definitively align itself with one bloc or the other. However, Russia\u2019s invasion has irrevocably altered that calculus, with Ukraine officially signing an application for <\/span>E.U. membership<\/span><\/a> just four days after Russia invaded it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seoul\u2019s economic bond with Warsaw, which has made <\/span>significant strides<\/span><\/a> recently, is the ideal vehicle as it would allow the ROK to tap into the <\/span>cultural and geographic<\/span><\/a> proximities between Poland and Ukraine. As the largest Asian investor in Poland, Seoul\u2019s collaboration has expanded Korean companies\u2019 presence in Europe, underscored by Poland\u2019s <\/span>dominant role<\/span><\/a> in lithium-ion battery exports within the E.U.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further, given Poland\u2019s <\/span>position<\/span><\/a> as South Korea\u2019s third-largest E.U. export market and a hub for Korean electronics companies, Seoul likely views participating in Ukraine\u2019s redevelopment as advantageous for ROK businesses in Poland. For instance, by expanding infrastructure projects with Ukraine, South Korea will likely seek to eventually tap Ukraine\u2019s abundant <\/span>neon production<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a key element in microchip manufacturing.<\/span><\/p>\n

An optimal outcome for South Korea would be to capitalize on its support for Ukraine\u2019s post-war reconstruction with the ultimate goal of fortifying the emerging synergy between Seoul, Warsaw and Kyiv. Such a partnership would be able to elevate Korean electronics exports across Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Seoul must first overcome its ODA strategy\u2019s shortcomings and work with its Western allies and partners to hold Kyiv responsible for minimizing graft and corruption within its government. Further, time is of the essence, given that the <\/span>onset of donor fatigue<\/span><\/a> is a veritable risk. Given the challenges ahead, the ROK\u2019s grand ambitions for its relations with Europe are hardly assured.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by John Lee<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Business & Economy<\/span><\/a>Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Korea staked a claim in Ukraine\u2019s postwar reconstruction by harnessing its growing economic relationship with Poland. However, despite the positive optics that might have, particularly in democratic countries in the developed world, there is no guarantee that Seoul\u2019s strategy will succeed. One of the memorandums of understanding South Korea signed with Poland in July […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2202104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[24,28],"yoast_head":"\nHow graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea staked a claim in Ukraine\u2019s postwar reconstruction by harnessing its growing economic relationship with Poland. However, despite the positive optics that might have, particularly in democratic countries in the developed world, there is no guarantee that Seoul\u2019s strategy will succeed. One of the memorandums of understanding South Korea signed with Poland in July […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nknewsorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/feature-12.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"548\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"johnleenknews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@southkoreapro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@southkoreapro\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anthony V. Rinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"johnleenknews\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/person\/b9766dba611638edc06a6e0b7078714d\"},\"headline\":\"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\"},\"wordCount\":1100,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Business & Economy\",\"Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Analysis\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\",\"name\":\"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/\",\"name\":\"KOREA PRO\",\"description\":\"Be smart about South Korea. Up-to-date analysis on foreign relations, politics, society and economy. Made by the producers of NK PRO and NK News.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"KOREA PRO\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/logo.png\",\"width\":360,\"height\":50,\"caption\":\"KOREA PRO\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nknewsorg\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/southkoreapro\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO","og_description":"South Korea staked a claim in Ukraine\u2019s postwar reconstruction by harnessing its growing economic relationship with Poland. However, despite the positive optics that might have, particularly in democratic countries in the developed world, there is no guarantee that Seoul\u2019s strategy will succeed. One of the memorandums of understanding South Korea signed with Poland in July […]","og_url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/","og_site_name":"KOREA PRO","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nknewsorg\/","article_published_time":"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/08\/feature-12.png","width":1024,"height":548,"type":"image\/png"}],"author":"johnleenknews","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@southkoreapro","twitter_site":"@southkoreapro","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anthony V. Rinna","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/"},"author":{"name":"johnleenknews","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/person\/b9766dba611638edc06a6e0b7078714d"},"headline":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine","datePublished":"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/"},"wordCount":1100,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization"},"keywords":["Business & Economy","Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations"],"articleSection":["Analysis"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/","url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/","name":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine - KOREA PRO","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-29T08:00:56+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-30T08:01:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/how-graft-and-geopolitics-risk-south-koreas-development-assistance-to-ukraine\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How graft and geopolitics risk South Korea\u2019s development assistance to Ukraine"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/","name":"KOREA PRO","description":"Be smart about South Korea. Up-to-date analysis on foreign relations, politics, society and economy. Made by the producers of NK PRO and NK News.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#organization","name":"KOREA PRO","url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/11\/logo.png","width":360,"height":50,"caption":"KOREA PRO"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nknewsorg\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/southkoreapro"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10407"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2202103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2202106,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2202103\/revisions\/2202106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2202104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2202103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2202103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2202103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}