​Foreign Affairs Outlook for 2022​​   

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Outlook for Korea-Middle East Relations: instability and political dynamics in the Middle East

Seo Jeong-min

(amirseo@hufs.ac.kr)

Professor,

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

​English Abstract

Instability in the Middle East continues. The prolonged civil wars in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, etc., have blocked the expected trend of democratization since the Arab Spring of 2011. Due to the spread of the virus, unstable bases continue to coexist in several parts of the Middle East. As the Sunni and Shi'ite blocs confront each other, the Cold War structure in the Middle East is once again firmly established. There is also a variable in restoring the U.S. Biden administration's nuclear agreement with Iran. The Middle East is witnessing prolonged and constant turmoil, coupled with internal unrest, regional conflicts, and significant Western intervention. In order to cope with the political dynamics of the Middle East, Korea should be careful and take more diverse strategies and methods.