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Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy aims to strike balance amid US-China rivalry
- South Korea’s new regional diplomatic policy seeks closer security ties with Washington but refers to Beijing as ‘key partner’
- Foreign policy expert says ‘dull’ plan lacks details on how it will achieve its goals
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South Korea’s new Indo-Pacific strategy attempts to cosy up to the US on security matters while leaving room for cooperation with China on the economy, but some observers say the plan offers few specifics about how Seoul will achieve this delicate balance.
On Wednesday, South Korea announced a new diplomatic strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. The 33-page document broadly outlined policies in areas ranging from security alliances to supply chain cooperation.
The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the strategy aimed to expand Seoul’s vision towards the Indo-Pacific region and strengthen “strategic cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues”.
The document mostly aligned with Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy on security issues.
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It said Seoul would expand cooperation with members of “the Quad” – a security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United States – and strengthen implementation of regional sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Regarding territorial disputes involving China, the strategy said “peace, stability, and the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea must be respected”.
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It also stated that Seoul reaffirms “the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait for the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific”.
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