{"id":2202300,"date":"2023-09-19T17:00:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T08:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202300"},"modified":"2023-09-20T17:52:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T08:52:41","slug":"why-south-koreas-insular-geopolitical-outlook-puts-its-asean-outreach-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/09\/why-south-koreas-insular-geopolitical-outlook-puts-its-asean-outreach-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Why South Korea\u2019s insular geopolitical outlook puts its ASEAN outreach at risk"},"content":{"rendered":"
During South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s recent attendance at the 43rd ASEAN and East Asia summits, Yoon aimed to secure <\/span>ASEAN\u2019s backing<\/span><\/a> against North Korea\u2019s escalating missile and nuclear threats, labeling them an \u201c<\/span>existential threat<\/span><\/a>\u201d to all member nations. He also advocated for <\/span>united efforts<\/span><\/a> to prevent North Korea\u2019s cryptocurrency thefts and the export of North Korean laborers, which he identified as the primary financial source supporting Pyongyang\u2019s missile and nuclear weapon endeavors.<\/span><\/p>\n His address highlights his drive to bolster relations with Southeast Asian countries in alignment with Seoul\u2019s <\/span>Indo-Pacific Strategy<\/span><\/a>. However, a significant challenge lies ahead: ensuring commitment to a rules-based Indo-Pacific order beyond Yoon\u2019s tenure.<\/span><\/p>\n APPEALING CHOICE<\/b><\/p>\n The joint statement between Korea and ASEAN issued at the summit cited the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the foundation for an enhanced maritime partnership. It\u2019s significant to note that the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision, which dismissed the Chinese \u201cnine-dash line\u201d claim in the South China Sea, used UNCLOS as its guiding principle.<\/span><\/p>\n Coupled with the <\/span>Spirit of Camp David joint statement<\/span><\/a> in August, which also invoked UNCLOS to criticize Chinese Coast Guard actions against the Philippine Coast Guard, South Korea has subtly positioned itself against China\u2019s maritime assertions.<\/span><\/p>\n While Seoul is pursuing a strategy that strives for harmonious relations with regional heavyweights without explicitly alienating any country, South Korea\u2019s adoption of UNCLOS makes this approach more challenging going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during the ASEAN Plus Three summit, <\/span>stressed<\/span><\/a> it was \u201cvery important to oppose taking sides, bloc confrontation and a new Cold War,\u201d underscoring the delicate balance that Seoul aims to achieve: supporting Yoon\u2019s dedication to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and maintaining strong ties with Beijing, with the hope of influencing North Korea\u2019s actions.<\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, Seoul\u2019s adoption of UNCLOS and its \u201cinclusive\u201d Indo-Pacific Strategy that \u201cneither targets nor excludes any particular country\u201d is <\/span>welcomed<\/span><\/a> by ASEAN.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe inclusive nature of the Indo-Pacific Strategy was consistent with most Southeast Asian nations\u2019 desire to maintain positive relations with as many partners as possible,\u201d Gregory Poling, the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies\u2019 Southeast Asia Program, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Poling noted the growing economic and security ties with ASEAN countries and remarked that these ties position Korea as a \u201chelpful but still distant partner,\u201d contrasting with \u201cresident players\u201d such as the U.S., Japan and China.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat makes engagement with South Korea relatively uncontroversial, but it also means that Southeast Asian countries still don\u2019t really view it as part of the \u2018choice\u2019 they are being asked to make between the great and middle powers,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n The ROK\u2019s increased outreach to ASEAN in terms of regional investment and technological advancement was expected and welcomed as Seoul is a model of a democracy where prosperity reinforces its citizens\u2019 freedoms, according to Dr. Rizal Sukma, a senior fellow at the Indonesian Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe can tell both China and the U.S. that we, the middle powers, do have agency and also want to shape the evolving regional order,\u201d Sukma told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n