Policy Recommendations for the New Administration's Diplomacy

[e-book]

"EAI Experts' Recommendations for the New Administration's Diplomatic Policy Amidst Rapidly Changing Korean Peninsula and Surrounding Affairs"

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Seven Policy Proposals for 21st Century Korean Diplomacy

1. North Korean Nuclear Issue and North Korea Policy

The new administration must devise a plan that maximizes the costs of North Korea's nuclear development in conjunction with international sanctions and pressure, while simultaneously presenting possibilities for the survival and development of a denuclearized North Korea. This plan should aim to build trust between South and North Korea, ultimately leading to an agreement on genuine denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a peace regime. Based on this, efforts must be made to implement this plan jointly with relevant stakeholders, including the US and China. The peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, to be discussed in conjunction with North Korea's sincere freeze and denuclearization, requires not only a peace agreement guaranteeing the systems of South and North Korea but also complex guarantees from relevant stakeholders such as the US and China, as well as international organizations, to ensure the agreement's effectiveness.

2. Policy Toward the United States

The new administration must enhance the role of the ROK-US alliance on the Korean Peninsula to effectively respond to the North Korean nuclear issue and military threats, while also emphasizing the regional and global roles of the alliance. As a middle power, South Korea should deepen and develop the ROK-US-Japan network to contribute to stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. It should also jointly design and build a complex structure that accommodates emerging powers like China, allowing them to play a constructive role in the Asia-Pacific order, while also embracing countries like India and ASEAN. Alongside the parallel development of the ROK-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the ROK-US alliance, efforts should be made to develop a blueprint for deepening economic networks that will enable the United States to re-engage with the multi-faceted economic order of the Asia-Pacific, moving beyond its focus on bilateralism and national interest.

3. Policy Toward ChinaThe ROK-China relationship is vulnerable to changes in the international structure and environment due to China's rise, as a structurally sound relationship at the bilateral level has not yet been established. In particular, increased reliance on China for the North Korean nuclear issue has led to distortions and illusions regarding South Korea's strategic value to China. Therefore, South Korea and China must focus on strengthening substantive ties for the development of bilateral relations, while simultaneously pursuing a multifaceted diplomatic approach to enhance South Korea's role and independent strategic value. Furthermore, diplomacy toward China must be pursued in close conjunction with the ROK-US alliance, ROK-Japan relations, inter-Korean relations, domestic politics, and the economy. The THAAD dispute presents the first test for the new administration, which must cautiously seek an exit strategy based on such complex strategic thinking.

4. Policy Toward Japan

The new administration should carefully navigate the controversy surrounding the inheritance of the comfort women agreement, which stands at the threshold of improving relations, by seeking to supplement the agreement. Concurrently, it should actively pursue cooperation in security, economy, and culture. While deepening trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the United States in response to the North Korean threat, meticulous attention must be paid to ensure that this trilateral cooperation does not evolve into a regional alliance against China. Alongside the re-promotion of the ROK-Japan FTA, joint efforts should be made to architect a liberal economic order in the Asia-Pacific region. In the long term, both countries must strive for co-evolution, transcending narrow nationalism and self-centered thinking to realize regional stability, prosperity, and coexistence.

5. Trade Policy

The new administration must reform its system to ensure constant attention from the President and the cabinet towards trade issues, recognizing them not merely as matters of goods trade and industrial competitiveness, but as strategic challenges directly linked to national security. Trade policy in the new administration must actively respond to the evolving trade negotiation environment of the 21st century, characterized by competition to establish new trade norms for the regulation of trade, investment, and services. Furthermore, it must be prepared to actively address the tendency for trade negotiations to become linked with non-trade issues such as exchange rates, fair trade, military security, and the environment. Based on this, efforts should be made to upgrade the ROK-US FTA and to architect a liberal trade order in the Asia-Pacific region.

6. Digital DiplomacyWith the advancement of science and technology, the ways people communicate and participate have become digitized, fundamentally transforming diplomatic practices. In line with a 'digitally hyper-connected society,' diplomacy must evolve into omnipresent diplomacy that transcends time and space, platform diplomacy that engages in cyberspace through platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and network diplomacy that continuously builds and maintains connections across various communication arenas. To realize this digital diplomacy, it is essential to establish the necessary infrastructure and innovate work methods within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related public institutions. In an era where diplomatic influence grows through interaction with diverse actors, co-creation, sharing, and dissemination of policy ideas are crucial.

7. Global Governance Diplomacy

Recently, the global governance landscape has shifted towards major powers actively projecting their national interests on a global scale, rather than providing global public goods. The new administration must seek a strategic approach to reframe the increasingly uncertain international political environment as an opportunity for Korean diplomacy. To this end, it should employ a middle power diplomacy strategy that doubles cooperation with middle powers that have closely aligned interests in maintaining existing global governance. Meanwhile, global governance diplomacy needs to pursue balance or harmony with traditional diplomacy centered on relations with major powers or bilateral diplomacy to diversify Korean diplomacy. Furthermore, to enhance global governance diplomacy capabilities, it is necessary to propose new problem-solving approaches by linking issues and to actively identify agendas based on Korea's experiences and achievements, such as industrialization and democratization.

Table of Contents

Foreword

1. North Korean Nuclear Issue and North Korea Policy_Ha Young-sun & Chun Jae-sung

2. Policy Toward the United States_Ha Young-sun & Chun Jae-sung

3. Policy Toward China_Lee Dong-ryul

4. Policy Toward Japan_Son Yeol

5. Trade Policy_Son Yeol

6. Digital Diplomacy_Lee Sook-jong

7. Global Governance Diplomacy_Lee Seung-joo