{"id":2203286,"date":"2023-12-29T16:23:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T07:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2203286"},"modified":"2024-01-01T18:59:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T09:59:53","slug":"a-year-of-robust-foreign-policy-south-koreas-biggest-successes-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/12\/a-year-of-robust-foreign-policy-south-koreas-biggest-successes-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"A year of robust foreign policy: South Korea\u2019s biggest successes of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Korea grabbed international headlines this year with a number of high-profile blunders, from Busan\u2019s failed World Expo bid to the disastrous World Scout Jamboree.<\/span><\/p>\n

But there were also bright spots in the ROK\u2019s 2023, particularly in the realm of foreign policy and export initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> has assembled a two-part retrospective on ten developments that showcased South Korea\u2019s strengths and successful strategies while providing something for Seoul to build on in the year ahead:<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 1: Foreign Policy<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Improved ROK-Japan relations<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. A New Era for trilateral cooperation<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Nuclear Consultative Group<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Successful satellite launches<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Ukraine aid<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Part 2: Economic Policy<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Electric vehicle exports<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Successful navigation of U.S. CHIPS and Science Act<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Middle East boom<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Westinghouse lawsuit dismissed<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Diversifying rare earth supply chains<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The selected events are not presented in a particular order.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Improved ROK-Japan relations<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \"\"

        President Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a bilateral summit, March 16, 2023 | Image: ROK Presidential Office<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

        What happened:<\/b> Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan have always been difficult to manage even in the best of times, and no love was lost between Seoul and Tokyo under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, especially after Japan imposed export restrictions on the ROK.<\/span><\/p>\n

        President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to improve relations with Japan early into his presidency, but it took a while for his efforts to bear fruit. This year saw a sudden flurry of diplomatic activity, with the South Korean and Japanese leaders frequently meeting each other at international forums and in each other\u2019s capitals. While some disagreements remain, diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan have never been warmer than they are today, and Yoon deserves the lion\u2019s share of the praise for that.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Implications:<\/b> As East Asia\u2019s two most important democratic countries and allies of the U.S., South Korea and Japan share many overlapping interests and security concerns. They both face the same existential threat from North Korea\u2019s nuclear weapons, share similar concerns about China\u2019s overwhelming control of the world\u2019s rare earth market and have much to gain by improving bilateral economic relations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Since beginning to repair ties, the two countries have reinstated each other as full trading partners, normalized the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), and have started sharing real-time intelligence regarding North Korean missiles along with the U.S.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n