South Koreas Foreign Relations South Koreas Strategic Posture

South Korea’s Foreign Relations

South Korea’s Strategic Posture • Political and security alliance with U. S. since the end of the Korean War in 1953 • The major issue is overwhelmingly North Korea – The “Sunshine Policy” of active engagement under President Kim Dae-Jung (1998 -2003) – Higher tensions under President Lee Myung-Bak (2008 -2013)

U. S. -Korea Free Trade Agreement • The “biggest trade deal since NAFTA” was passed by U. S. Congress in 2011. • During the negotiation process, both administrations faced opposition from strong domestic agricultural lobbies. – Korean rice farmers – U. S. cattle farmers • U. S. automobile industry

Korea-Japan Relations • Historical legacies date back two millennia • Cultural proximity – Language family – Written characters – Confucianism – Buddhism –. . .

Japanese Invasions • 1592 -1598, Japanese invasion was defeated by joint China-Korea forces. • 1894 -1895 war between Qing China and Japan over control of Korea. • 1904 -1905 war between Russia and Japan • 1910 Japan annexed Korea

Japan’s Occupation 1910 -1945 • Current historical issues: – Japanese statements of remorse for World War II – Korean laborers during World War II – Korean “comfort women” during World War II – Yasukuni Shrine (convicted war criminals) –. . .

Wartime Atrocities in the Relations • Kono Statement of 1993 – The statement, named after then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, contained a landmark apology to the sex slaves known euphemistically in Japan as “comfort women. ” • Murayama Statement of 1995 – Then socialist Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama (1994 -1996) apologized for wartime suffering inflicted by Japan on its Asian neighbors.

Normalization of Relations 1965 • President Park Chung-Hee of South Korea established diplomatic relations with Japan. • Economic benefits • Resentment

Territorial Dispute • Dokdo (in Korean) / Takeshima (in Japanese) • South Korean government position: – “Dokdo. . . is an integral part of Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law. ” • Japanese government position: – “Takeshima is clearly an inherent territory of Japan, in the light of historical facts and based upon international law. ”

Trading Partners • South Korea is Japan’s – 3 rd largest export market (8%) – 6 th largest source of imports (5%) • As South Korea’s export destination, Japan dropped from 3 rd place (7%) to 5 th (4. 9%) • As South Korea’s 2 nd largest import source, Japan’s share dropped from 12% to 10. 5% in 2015.

Trade and Investment 2010 2011 5. 96% Japan-South Korea total trade growth Japanese $1. 085 $2. 439 investment in billion South Korean investment in Japan 2012 2013 -4. 35% 10. 55% $3. 996 $3. 286 billion $559 $47 million

Role of US and China • US bilateral alliances with Japan and with South Korea respectively – Common concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program and China’s rising power • China is the top trade partner of Japan and of South Korea

South Korea’s Ties with China • Growing economic relationship with China • China passed the U. S. in 2003 to become South Korea’s largest trading partner • In 2015, 26% of South Korea’s exports went to China, nearly double the share for the U. S. • In 2015, 21% of South Korea’s imports came from China, more than the shares of Japan and U. S. combined.

South Korea’s New Role in Asia • Playing a “balancing” or mediating role in regional disputes – territorial disputes between China and Japan – nuclear standoff between North Korea and U. S. • Building Seoul into a logistics and business hub for the region • However, actual ability seems limited