Korea’s Indo-Pacific Bridge: Forging a Path for ROK-Pacific Islands Partnership

Ina Choi () and Gee Young Oh ()
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Ina Choi: KOREA INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY (KIEP), Postal: [30147] Building C, Sejong National Research Complex, 370, Sicheong-daero, Sejong-si, Korea, http://www.kiep.go.kr/eng/
Gee Young Oh: KOREA INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY (KIEP), Postal: [30147] Building C, Sejong National Research Complex, 370, Sicheong-daero, Sejong-si, Korea, http://www.kiep.go.kr/eng/

No 24-39, World Economy Brief from Korea Institute for International Economic Policy

Abstract: By hosting the inaugural ROK-Pacific Islands Summit on May 29, 2023, South Korea bolstered its presence in cooperation efforts within the Pacific region, stepping into a space where major players are already deeply engaged. Although Korea has held foreign minister-level dialogues with Pacific Island Countries (PICs) since 2011, the 2023 summit marked a pivotal step in Korea’s commitment to more profound engagement with the region. This proactive outreach forms a strategic component of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, designed to reinforce Korea’s role and expand its influence across the region. The ROK-Pacific Islands Summit showcased Korea's commitment to advancing its Indo-Pacific Strategy on both domestic and international fronts. Korea's active outreach to PICs has been warmly welcomed by both the countries themselves and key regional powers. The key challenge ahead is to build on these achievements and secure Korea’s position as an emerging donor in a region where competition for aid influence is intensifying. Given this context, this brief provides an overview of ROK-Pacific Islands relations, examines the summit’s achievements, and offers policy recommendations to support Korea’s ongoing engagement with the PICs.

Keywords: ROK-Pacific Islands Summit; South Korea; Indo-Pacific Strategy; Pacific Island Countries (PICs); Foreign minister-level dialogues; Regional cooperation; Aid influence President Yoon Suk Yeol; Emerging donor; Policy recommendations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 11 pages
Date: 2024-11-18
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:kiepwe:2024_039

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