Amid rising global power politics, South Korea’s new Lee Jae-myung administration must strengthen national self-reliance in science, technology, and defense while deepening alliances with like-minded democracies to ensure long-term security.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of the symposium “President Lee and North Korea.” The full symposium can be found here.
The new Lee Jae-myung government was inaugurated on June 4, 2025.
The international environment it faces is in a grand transition of 80 years. The most prominent characteristic of the transition is the shift from the rule of law to the rule of power, which brings back power politics in international relations. Korea suffered greatly during the period of its rule by a foreign power; the loss of sovereignty in 1910 and the Korean War of 1950 are the most conspicuous examples.
After World War II, the rules-based international order supported by the United States offered a far more benign global environment, making it possible for the Republic of Korea (Korea hereafter) to maintain peace and develop its economy so fast that it was often touted as the “Miracle on the Han River.”
After 80 years, the United States itself is turning its back on the rule of law. This will bring fundamental and ominous changes to the international order, testing and requiring the new Korean government to develop a straightforward strategy to navigate the transition in the global system. Facing the challenge: Korea’s foreign policy must be based on the pillars of “Self-Reliance” and “Alliance.”
How Should South Korea’s Foreign Policy Change?
The “Self-Reliance” used in this context refers to further strengthening Korea’s economy and military power, which can be sustained only with the further advancement of its science and technology.
In the 1960s, when Korea embarked on its path of economic development, it began by establishing the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1969 and a program to recruit experts in science and technology from abroad, primarily from overseas Korean communities. It led to hugely impressive economic growth, the development of heavy industries and defense industries, thereby strengthening Korea’s defense capabilities. The virtuous circle among science and technology, the economy, and defense capability was the formula behind the “Miracle on the Han River.”
South Korea Has Improved Its Military and Technology Sectors
The Global Firepower Report continues to rank Korea as the 5th strongest conventional military power. Korea’s share in the global arms export market stood at 2.8 percent in 2017-2021 from 1 percent in the 2012-2016 period, according to the data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Such rapid growth enabled Korea to rank as the 8th largest arms exporter in the world in 2022.
Despite South Korea’s military rise, the nation is losing its edge in science and technology. The Belfer Center at Harvard University recently issued a report titled Critical and Emerging Technologies Index, through which it assessed the technological power of 25 selected countries. According to the report, Korea ranks between 9 and 12 in key technologies such as AI, biotechnology, space, and quantum computing, even ranking 5th in semiconductor production. However, South Korea was ranked below China in all five sectors studied in the Belfer Report.
How China Outperforms South Korea
Ten years ago, in 2015, China issued a priority national plan named “Made in China 2025.” It was an ambitious plan to transform China’s economy from labor-intensive workshops into a more technology-intensive powerhouse with higher value added.
To implement the plan, China made significant investments in science and technology. China also implemented the Thousand Talents Program (TPP), a program to recruit experts in science and technology from abroad, principally but not exclusively from overseas Chinese communities. The number of experts China recruited is known to be well above 1,000 and hovers around 8,000. The program continues today under a different name, the Qiming program. It was through these efforts that China was able to catch up and surpass Korea in significant sectors of science and technology.
The lag in science and technology will eventually undermine Korea’s economy and defense capabilities. The vicious circle among science and technology (S&T), the economy, and defense capability must be broken to enable Korea to reach a higher level of “self-reliance” in both economic and defense capabilities. This must be pursued as the most urgent objective by the new Lee Jae-myung government.
The second pillar for survival must be strengthening the alliance with like-minded countries that share the belief in the rules-based international order. The fact that the United States itself is turning its back on the rule of law tempts many analysts in Korea to argue that Korea must free itself from the commitment to past values and alliances and be guided solely by narrowly defined national interests. This is a hazardous recommendation. In the age of power politics by Big Powers, Korea cannot survive as a lone ranger. We need an “alliance” with like-minded countries.
What Are South Korea’s Reliable Allies?
There are a large number of countries that share the same belief: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and member countries of the European Union, to name a few. These countries strongly commend Korea’s commitment to the rules-based international order, invite Korea to the G-7 and NATO summit meetings, and wish to work with Korea as a partner to survive together the perils of the return of power politics. Korea must welcome such approaches from like-minded countries and strengthen the alliance with them.
These like-minded countries expect that the US will eventually return as a supporter of the rules-based international order. As they await the change in US strategy, these countries continue to work closely with the US and Korea must do the same.
There are many reasons why the US is an indispensable ally. The Nuclear Consultative Group between Korea and the US must be further advanced to deal with the threats arising from North Korean nuclear weapons. The US is an invaluable partner for S&T and the economy, due to its high standards in S&T, the unique equipment available in the US, and a large consumer market.
Still, there are suggestions that Korea should distance itself from the US, as a close attachment to the US will increasingly make it difficult for Korea to manage its relations with China.
As experienced, this invariably resulted in the loss of credibility with both the US and China. With China, we must base our approach on the rules-based international order, explain why we cannot depart from the rule of law, and build relations with the critical neighbor on that basis. It may take more time and more effort. However, that will prove to be the only sustainable approach for Korea in the age of power politics and deepening tensions between the US and China.
Basing Korea’s foreign policy on the alliance with the Like-Minded Countries (LMCs) need not be interpreted as ignoring the importance of relations with the countries in the Global South. Korea has laboriously developed institutions for strengthening ties with those countries.
How Has South Korea Improved Its International Relations Over the Years
In 2007, Korea initiated an annual ministerial-level meeting, the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum. Korea even operates a secretariat for the Forum. In 2012, Korea sent a resident ambassador to the ASEAN Secretariat, becoming one of the first non-ASEAN member countries to do so. In 2018, Korea joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association as a Dialogue Partner. In 2023, Korea concluded an FTA agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Regarding Latin America, Korea is a leading member of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), the only inter-regional consultation mechanism between East Asia and Latin America, comprising 16 East Asian and 20 Latin American countries.
The transition in the international system brings many risks and challenges to the new Lee Jae-myung government. However, Korea, as a nation, has the collective experience of overcoming difficult times by developing its S&T and deepening cooperation with LMCs based on the rules-based international order. We must take full advantage of these experiences and base the foreign policy of the new government on “Self-Reliance” and “Alliance.”
About the Author: Ho-young Ahn
Ho-Young Ahn is the Republic of Korea’s former Ambassador to the United States and Chair Professor at Kyungnam University.
Image Credit: Wikimedia/Gyeonggi-do News Portal.
