[Insight Commentary] South Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy as a Global Pivotal State

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-Uvg739Go

For the third installment of the "Insight Commentary" series, designed to provide timely and accessible analysis of major diplomatic issues, we are joined by Professor Victor Cha, Professor at Georgetown University and holder of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Professor Victor Cha identifies security policy as the area requiring the most careful approach in constructing South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy. He explains the necessity of strengthening ROK-U.S.-Japan security cooperation in response to the growing threats from Russia and China, and the supportive atmosphere within the U.S. government for the restoration of ROK-Japan relations. Furthermore, he argues that for South Korea to transition from a middle power to a global pivotal state, it must demonstrate a willingness to take on greater responsibilities in global issues beyond the Korean Peninsula and North Korea. He asserts that South Korea must be willing to incur short-term costs to counter the threats posed by authoritarian governments to the liberal international order.

Part 1. The Yoon Suk Yeol Administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy Vision 00:00

Part 2. Expanding South Korea's Diplomatic Strategy Space Beyond the Korean Peninsula 04:58

Part 3. The Biden Administration's Role in Improving ROK-Japan Relations 11:17

Part 4. Recommendations for Realizing the Vision of a Global Pivotal State 14:02

■ Victor Cha_ Professor at Georgetown University. Holder of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He earned a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in International Affairs and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, and an M.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Oxford. He served as Director for Asian Affairs at the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) and is currently a Professor in the Department of Government at Georgetown University and the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). While working at the White House until 2007, he was responsible for issues concerning Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, and also served as the U.S. Deputy Representative to the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear program held in Beijing. He currently heads the D.S. Song-Korea Foundation Chair in Asia Studies. His publications include <<The Impossible Triangle: Stakes, Learning, and the Security Dilemma in U.S.-Korea-Japan Relations>> and numerous articles in academic journals.

Video Transcript

I think that Korea already plays a very important role as a middle power and the real question is whether it can transition from middle power to Global power I think across the metrics it is a global Power Six sixth uh most capable military 10th largest economy in the world the two big questions I think with regard to playing this larger Global pivotal State role is how far Korea is willing to go on these Global issues in a way that that can hurt their equities with China and Russia that's one and then the other is how far

they're willing to go in terms of this Global role in a way that takes attention away from Peninsula and North Korea issue being a global pivotal State often means accepting International order