Abstract

While political and economic self-interest retains its primacy in South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa, recent domestic constraints have negatively affected its Africa policy. This article sheds light on the subtle differences between Roh and Lee’s stances towards Africa on the one hand and that of Park on the other hand; whilst further looking at the origin of those differences by examining the political environment of the current administration. The deterioration of inter-Korean relations has led to South Korea’s returning to a foreign policy in which security is primary. Simultaneously, resource diplomacy has faced growing criticism from the public and has lost its legitimacy as a basis for engagement with the continent. These two processes have had an impact on the re-orientation of South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa. Africa has, again, been placed at the periphery of South Korea’s foreign policy.

Highlights

  • Political and economic self-interest retains its primacy in South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa

  • Under the Roh and Lee administrations, resource or sales diplomacy which is mercantilist in nature, became the heart of foreign policy towards Africa, and political/economic elites ranging from high-level officials to businessmen shared this principle and were involved in promoting this idea

  • Compared to China’s FOCAC and Japan’s Tokyo International Conference of Africa's Development (TICAD), the Korea-Africa Forum is smaller in the number of participants and their level in government, mostly ministerial or director-general level instead of head of state level

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Summary

Introduction

Political and economic self-interest retains its primacy in South Korea’s foreign policy towards Africa. Under the different administrations from Roh to Park, a number of high-level official visits and exchanges have become a means for developing the relationship and were all resource-oriented This became clear at a time of turmoil in the Middle East, in particular the Iraq War (2003). With regard to the African continent, the South Korean government wishes to become a game changer as there has been competition among traditional and emerging partners for influence and relevance.2 While these approaches once laid the framework for understanding South Korea’s foreign policy initiatives and the future course of action, this article would like to shift the analytic attention from this push-pull logic of the relationship. Under the Roh and Lee administrations, resource or sales diplomacy which is mercantilist in nature, became the heart of foreign policy towards Africa, and political/economic elites ranging from high-level officials to businessmen shared this principle and were involved in promoting this idea. The diplomatic competition between the two Koreas on the continent, another aspect which has been largely overlooked, is examined to identify the rationales for South Korea’s engagement with Africa

The search for respect in the international community
Quest for natural resources
Competition between the two Koreas
New challenges for maturing the relationship with Africa
Deteriorating security environment on the Korean peninsula
Resource diplomacy and the loss of its legitimacy
Findings
Conclusion

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