KOREA FOCUS

 

1. Meaning of ‘New Asia Initiative`

 

President Lee Myung-bak declared his New Asia Initiative during his tour of Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand in March. It was an expression of his will to strengthen cooperative relations with Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, Central Asia and the South Pacific on the basis of solid ties with the United States, China, Japan and Russia. It was also an effort to exercise Korea's soft power as a regional leader by sharing its experience in economic development and increasing its foreign aid while seeking close collaboration with Asia-Pacific nations in responding to such global issues as climate change and the financial crisis.

 

Successful implementation of the New Asia Initiative through concrete policies will greatly help the nation attain its goal of becoming a "global Korea." Korea seeks active participation in global affairs, sharing roles and responsibilities in ways commensurate with its advanced status in the international community. The New Asia Initiative primarily envisages open and proactive exchanges with Asian nations on the road to a "global Korea." Practical experiences gathered through the New Asia Initiative will serve as important assets as Korea endeavors to broaden its diplomatic horizon.

 

2. Importance of ASEAN

 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), now consisting of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma), is the main target of the New Asia Initiative because of its geographical proximity to Korea. Members of ASEAN are also greatly interested in sharing development experiences, expansion of development aid, energy security and climate change, which are the key agenda of Korea's New Asia Initiative.

 

ASEAN has been actively involved in regional peace and security issues, including the problems of the Korean peninsula. The ASEAN Regional Forum, which includes such leading military powers as the United States, China and Russia, is the only multilateral security organization in the region. ASEAN states have supported South Korea's position regarding the inter-Korean issues.

 

All members of the ASEAN maintain diplomatic relations with both South and North Korea and therefore can be intermediaries between the two Koreas. There was the instance of former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri visiting Seoul and Pyongyang in 2001, conveying President Kim Dae-jung's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

 

By promoting strategic ties with the ASEAN, Korea can keep unilateral behavior of regional superpowers in check through its relationship with neighboring countries, and at the same time Seoul can play a major role in regional cooperation as a bridge between the nations of Southeast Asia and the two big powers in Northeast Asia. On the part of ASEAN members, South Korea is looked upon as a more comfortable partner than the two other Northeast Asian powers.

 

On the economic front, Korea has maintained broad ties with ASEAN members in trade, investment and official development assistance (ODA). Collectively, ASEAN is Korea's third-largest trading partner with a total annual trade volume of $90.2 billion, second-largest investment partner ($5.8 billion) and second-largest construction market ($9.1 billion). The ASEAN includes the five biggest recipients of Korea's ODA.

 

Korea imports such important energy resources and raw materials as liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, coal, naphtha, copper ores and ingots, bunker-C heavy oil and pulp from the ASEAN. Southeast Asia, because of its geographical proximity and rich natural resources, will have growing importance as Korea's economic cooperation partner.

 

Cultural exchanges are another area where Korea can have comparative advantage over China and Japan. ASEAN has become the major target of "Hallyu," the overseas craze for Korea's pop culture products, with many of Korean entertainment figures enjoying high popularity in the region. Bilateral tourism exceeds 4 million annual visits and expatriates from ASEAN nations account for 30 percent of all migrant workers in Korea. About a third of spouses in international marriages in Korea are from Southeast Asia. As a result, "Southeast Asian cultural wave" is rapidly spreading in Korean society.

 

Student exchanges are also growing fast. As of 2007, Korea and ASEAN exchanged over 20,000 students annually for language education and degree courses. Some 16,000 Korean students went to ASEAN nations during 2008, compared to 4,000 six years before. Economic growth of the Southeast Asian nations and Korean universities' efforts to attract more foreign students will contribute to a rising influx from the region. Furthermore, a sense of affinity toward Korea among students who return home after studying in Korea is expected to be a significant factor in bolstering Korea's soft power in Southeast Asia.