William ChoongandJoanne Lin

Opinion | As US-China rivalry mounts, South Korea wants to be a ‘global pivotal state’ but it’s not as easy as it sounds

President Yoon has touted his new Indo-Pacific policy and the Korean-Asean Solidarity Initiative as a key step to elevate Seoul’s strategic role in the region and become a ‘global pivotal state’

But with South Korea not part of major groupings such as the Quad or Aukus, it lacks the diplomatic clout to attain its goal and instead focus on growing into a credible regional pivotal state

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US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol (left) toast during a state dinner at the White House on April 26. Photo: YNA/dpa

William ChoongandJoanne Lin

Published: 2:00pm, 19 May 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been on a roll. At the White House last month, US President Joe Biden and Yoon showed that their two countries are in lockstep, be it in countering North Korea’s nuclear programme, assisting Ukraine in its war against Russia, or improving ties with Tokyo.

Closer to home, Yoon aims to increase Seoul’s role and contribution to the region as a “global pivotal state” – a term highlighted in South Korea’s “Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region” released last November. He is also advocating the new Korean-Asean Solidarity Initiative (KASI). First announced at the Asean-Republic of Korea (ROK) summit in November 2022, KASI seeks to elevate Asean-ROK relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. It also seeks to increase the ROK’s regional standing through a suite of proposals to promote strategic coordination and comprehensive security cooperation.

Every new administration in South Korea trots out its own foreign policy doctrine and Yoon’s initiatives are not much different from his predecessors’. While the ROK’s ambitions should be lauded, it is unlikely to measure up to its goal of becoming a “global pivotal state.”

Granted, KASI and Yoon’s Indo-Pacific strategy will be music to the ears of Southeast Asian states. Asean will welcome complementarities between the ROK’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Asean’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Asean will also appreciate South Korea’s willingness to incorporate China – often deliberately excluded by its dialogue partners – into regional cooperation efforts.

Yoon’s foreign policy is consistent with that of his predecessors: closer interactions with Asean will give South Korea geopolitical ballast and reduce economic dependence on China at a time of intensified US-China rivalry. Yoon’s KASI and former president Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy, which had three pillars: people, prosperity, and peace, are similar. In KASI, “freedom” has replaced “peace”.