Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Lee, Daewoo

 delee@sejong.org

Senior Emeritus Fellow

The Institute for National Security Strategy

On December 28, 2022, Korea announced Korea's comprehensive regional involvement strategy under the title "Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region." South Korea saw the necessity of a strategy to play an active role in resolving geopolitical and geographical instability in the Indo-Pacific region, which is vital not only for the global economy but also for the Korean economy.

     Seen from the title, the Korean government set a strategic goal of creating a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and three principles: "Inclusiveness, Trust, and Reciprocity." Hence, the strategic implementation was set to the Indo-Pacific region and Europe along with 9 tasks to achieve its strategic goals.

     It can be evaluated as a strategy containing its willingness to secure diplomatic autonomy by informing the world of its willingness to expand diplomacy and the scope of cooperation to match its elevated international status. Though the title is "Indo-Pacific Strategy," it is to be a global strategy to expand Korea's role in the world except for some of South Amerca, and Africa on Atlantic coasts in setting the scope of its strategy. In Particular, South Korea differentiated China from the U.S.(Japan and NATO) perception of China by not defining China as a status-changing force and emphasizing China as a country that can play a major role in peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the pursuit of common interests and more mature relationships based on mutual respect and reciprocity while respecting international norms and rules with China.

     Nevertheless, as much of the strategy tends to sympathize with the United States, it is judged that the re-establishment of Korea-China needs to be done quickly. Of course, relations with Japan, which has been defined as a "close neighbor," should be normalized. On the other hand, the Korean government, which promised to strengthen its international role, needs to determine the scope of its role, expand international consensus on Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy, and make continuous efforts to secure our national interests and achieve common prosperity.