Pou Sothirak

Opinion | South Korea’s Asean strategy needs sturdy pillars of understanding to succeed

Seoul’s New Southern Policy has helped expand ties to Southeast Asian nations, but the next iteration needs to more clearly identify the opportunities ahead

NSP 2.0 must also focus on efforts to build a more peaceful and secure East Asia while recognising growing Sino-American tensions in the region

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President Moon Jae-in has set an objective of elevating relations with Asean on par with South Korea’s four major partners – the United States, China, Russia and Japan. Photo: DPA

Pou Sothirak

Published: 8:00am, 22 Oct 2020Updated: 9:14am, 22 Oct 2020

South Korea’s New Southern Policy (NSP) has been a welcome addition in Southeast Asia and has significantly expanded Seoul’s economic, cultural and developmental role in the region. But it needs a “boost” to capture more traction with Asean. As President Moon Jae-in’s government prepares to unveil NSP 2.0 later this year, efforts are needed to explain Seoul’s southern pivot more clearly and identify what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.

The NSP, which Moon unveiled in 2017, was a groundbreaking foreign policy move to consolidate a greater and deeper partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. To match Moon’s 2017 election manifesto with the targeted objective of elevating relations with Asean on par with South Korea’s four major partners – the United States, China, Russia and Japan – NSP 2.0 will need to describe and explain precisely how Seoul intends to strengthen its ties with Asean to the same level.

While engaging with Asean through NSP 2.0, it is important to ensure that diplomatic speechmaking matches with convincing, on-the-ground action – unfortunately, there is a lengthy history of lofty rhetoric by foreign partners in regards to Southeast Asia with outcomes that fell significantly below expectations. For Seoul to avoid this trap, an unambiguous understanding as to what exactly South Korea means regarding its upgrading of economic, political, and strategic relations with Asean will be useful to avoid any unintended nuances or misunderstandings.

To be most effective, South Korea’s shifting strategy toward Asean needs to move beyond a focus solely on questions of economic prosperity and cultural dimensions to include more issues of a strategic nature. Specifically, NSP 2.0 should be seen as a landmark initiative by Seoul that is not only underpinned by a strong economic imperative but also guided by a strategic thrust.

President Moon Jae-in (centre) toasts to leaders of the five Mekong River nations at a banquet during the summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2019. Photo: EPA

Beyond developing more broad-based economic engagement across all Asean members to promote sustainable prosperity and enhancing people-to-people exchanges, NSP 2.0 must also focus on much-needed efforts to build a more peaceful and secure East Asia while recognising growing Sino-American tensions in the region.

An NSP 2.0 with a stronger articulation of and pragmatic approach to regional cooperation that supports Asean-led mechanisms based on the open, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture would certainly be welcome, noting Seoul’s relatively unique position as an actor that has built significant trust both within Asean as well as among the major powers.