The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    BTS stars shine brighter as solo artists

  • 3

    N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA

  • 5

    30 people purchased 8,000 homes: data

  • 7

    Rowoon leaves SF9 to focus on acting career

  • 9

    Korea urged to adopt China exit strategy amid hegemonic war

  • 11

    Netflix's 'Song of the Bandits' blends western action with Korean period series

  • 13

    Foreign ministry asks Japan to investigate case of Korean poisoned with bleach in Tokyo

  • 15

    Lamborghini driver suspect sent to prosecutors over parking dispute in Gangnam

  • 17

    BTS member Suga begins mandatory military service

  • 19

    National Assembly passes motion to arrest DPK chief

  • 2

    '30 Days' promises laughter, unlikely romance

  • 4

    North Korean escapees tell how nuclear tests ruined their health, hometown

  • 6

    ITZY's Lia takes break to put mental health first

  • 8

    USFK soldier, 2 women arrested for drug trafficking

  • 10

    Seventeen to drop 11th EP next month

  • 12

    INTERVIEWPutin uses summit with NK leader to stop Seoul from helping Ukraine: expert

  • 14

    BTS defies K-pop's 'seven-year curse'

  • 16

    Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight

  • 18

    Unfreezing of funds not likely to restore Korea-Iran ties

  • 20

    Merck emphasizes digitalization in semiconductor market

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Yun Byung-se
  • Kim Won-soo
  • Ahn Ho-young
  • Kim Sang-woo
  • Lee Kyung-hwa
  • Mitch Shin
  • Peter S. Kim
  • Daniel Shin
  • Jeon Su-mi
  • Jang Daul
  • Song Kyung-jin
  • Park Jung-won
  • Cho Hee-kyoung
  • Park Chong-hoon
  • Kim Sung-woo
  • Donald Kirk
  • John Burton
  • Robert D. Atkinson
  • Mark Peterson
  • Eugene Lee
  • Rushan Ziatdinov
  • Lee Jong-eun
  • Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho
  • Bernhard J. Seliger
  • Imran Khalid
  • Troy Stangarone
  • Jason Lim
  • Casey Lartigue, Jr.
  • Bernard Rowan
  • Steven L. Shields
  • Deauwand Myers
  • John J. Metzler
  • Andrew Hammond
  • Sandip Kumar Mishra
Fri, September 22, 2023 | 21:51
Ahn Ho-young
Foreign policy recommendations for government
Posted : 2022-01-18 16:52
Updated : 2022-01-18 16:52
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Ahn Ho-young

2022 is going to be a year of important elections in a large number of countries around the world. In Korea, we are going to have a presidential election in March, which is less than two months away.

Given the grave security and economic risks surrounding Korea presently, the new government will face daunting challenges from day one. It will thus have to focus intensely on two key foreign policy goals relating to the issue of peace and prosperity with a sense of urgency.

When the Cold War came to an end in the 1990s, there was a euphoric expectation about lasting peace. Thirty years on, we now worry about a new Cold War. The inconvenient truth is that Northeast Asia has emerged as a region with the gravest of security challenges. Five of the six strongest military powers confront one another in Northeast Asia, as the Global Firepower report gloomily reminds us.

North Korea commits all available resources to the development of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, making some Korean commentators question the credibility of U.S. extended deterrence for Korea.

What's to be done? The new government must approach North Korea on the basis of firm principles. We must keep the door open for diplomacy. However, we must make North Korea understand that South Korea cannot compromise her national security in the process.

We have long talked about the necessity of significantly strengthening our strike and missile defense capabilities. The new government must now turn words to action. Experiences dealing with North Korea have taught us that appeasement does not lead to peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Second, the new government must clarify the importance it attaches to the alliance with the U.S. In the process of Korea's development over the past several decades, it greatly helped that the U.S. had unique characteristics as a global leader.

The importance the country attached to universal values of human rights, rule of law and openness, its commitment to practice these values in international relations and lack of territorial ambition ― all of these made what Joseph Nye has appropriately defined as the soft power of the U.S.

These values have now come to define Korea as a nation as much as they do the U.S. This has happened over the past several decades, during which time Korea has successfully distinguished itself as an example of a nation benefiting from a relatively benign international environment thereby developing its economy, achieving democratization and enhancing its global status.

This momentum must be maintained through the upgrading of the alliance with the U.S., in which Korea should play a bigger role for international peace and prosperity, including humanitarian assistance, fighting the pandemic and climate change. In fact, the U.S. has consistently invited Korea to move in that direction. A good example is the joint statement between Presidents Moon Jae-in and Joe Biden issued in May last year.

Third, given Korea's geopolitical and geo-economic situation, Korea must continue with omni- directional diplomacy. I have to add that this must be based on a rock-solid alliance with the U.S.

We have been obsessed for far too long with the so-called strategic ambiguity between the U.S. and China. For reasons I have often repeated through this column, this will only lead to Korea losing credibility with both the U.S. and China.

With respect to Japan, I cannot overemphasize the importance of both countries' sticking to the "firewall" between the issues of history and other security and economic issues. It is in the past several years that leaders in both countries ignored the firewall, and the price has been a free fall in our bilateral relations.

With respect to ASEAN neighbors, they are far closer to Korea than we realize, in terms of ever expanding economic, security and personnel exchanges. It was in 2012 that Korea became one of the few countries to open a permanent mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia.

At the time, ASEAN members welcomed this decision by Korea enthusiastically, and sent a delegation to Seoul consisting of all ASEAN permanent representatives. I recall welcoming the delegation to Seoul as a vice foreign minister, and telling them that "ASEAN is the pride of Asia."

With respect to the EU and the U.K., we presently observe their deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific. I was personally involved in the negotiation for the Framework Agreement between Korea and the EU. It was during my time as ambassador to the EU that our free trade agreement entered into force, in July 2011.

Even then, during my time in Brussels, I was not happy with the level of attention the Asia-Pacific region was getting in Europe, and often urged my European colleagues to awaken to the opportunities we were missing and the need to level up our relations. Ten years since then, I was deeply pleased to read the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy issued last September.

Last but not least, the new government has compelling reasons to focus on international economic statecraft. Since around 2017, the souring of U.S.-China relations, the sidelining of the WTO in global trade debates and rise in populism in domestic politics have undermined the rules reinforcing the global liberal order.

If anything, we observe such issues accelerating with the onslaught of the pandemic, the rise in the role of the state and the aggravation of geopolitical tensions. Thomas Friedman's "Flat World" is under increasing attack, which is an ominous development for a highly open economy like Korea's. One outstanding difficulty we face for now is in supply chains, but we have to brace ourselves for other related challenges as well.

A large number of countries are responding through strengthening "economic security." We in Korea formed an Economic Security-related Ministers' Council, and are to establish the Economic Security Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are welcome moves, which must be strengthened under the new government with a sense of urgency.


Ahn Ho-young (hyahn78@mofa.or.kr) is president of the University of North Korean Studies. He served as Korean ambassador to the United States and first vice foreign minister.


 
miguel
Top 10 Stories
130 people purchased 8,000 homes: data 30 people purchased 8,000 homes: data
2Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlightScientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight
3National Assembly passes motion to arrest DPK chiefNational Assembly passes motion to arrest DPK chief
4Gender equality minister nominee in hot seat over remarks on abortion Gender equality minister nominee in hot seat over remarks on abortion
5Seoul invites ambassadors to introduce new halal foods in Korea Seoul invites ambassadors to introduce new halal foods in Korea
6Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors
7Rights experts from 17 countries demand release of North Korean escapees in China Rights experts from 17 countries demand release of North Korean escapees in China
8S. Korea condemns Russia, seeks to mend ties with China S. Korea condemns Russia, seeks to mend ties with China
9COVID-19 deaths hit record high in Korea for 2022 COVID-19 deaths hit record high in Korea for 2022
10Honey-dipped cookie to represent 'K-desserts' at global food expo in Germany Honey-dipped cookie to represent 'K-desserts' at global food expo in Germany
Top 5 Entertainment News
1BTS defies K-pop's 'seven-year curse' BTS defies K-pop's 'seven-year curse'
2Aespa's VR concert to hit theaters Oct. 25 Aespa's VR concert to hit theaters Oct. 25
3Gang Dong-won becomes exorcist con artist in 'Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman' Gang Dong-won becomes exorcist con artist in 'Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman'
4BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo
5[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group