Introduction
South Korea has long been unclear on its stance regarding the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. For many years, the closest thing the government had to an official position was the consistent but vague statements of successive spokespeople from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These statements essentially noted that the Republic of Korea (ROK) supported freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and hoped the parties involved would resolve the disputes in a peaceful manner through dialogue.
In 2015, however, there was a slight but crucial change in that position. There had long been rumors that South Korea was under pressure from the United States to clarify its position on the South China Sea. Then, in November, Defense Minister Han Min-goo delivered remarks at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) stating that freedom of navigation and overflight must be guaranteed and that the disputes should be resolved in a peaceful manner. Later that month, President Park Geun-hye went a step further at the East Asia Summit in Malaysia when she stated that concerned parties should observe the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and that disputes should be resolved according to international law. She went on to assert that concerned countries must respect the promise of demilitarizing the South China Sea, which was widely interpreted as supporting the U.S. position on the disputes. At the 2015 East Asia Summit, Park argued that “Korea has consistently stressed that the dispute must be peacefully resolved according to international agreements and code of conduct” and “China must guarantee the right of free navigation and flight.”
Despite these recent clarifications by the president and defense minister, South Korea’s position on the disputes in the South China Sea has been quite vague and ambivalent. While South Korea does not claim any territories in the South China Sea and has no direct military or strategic interests there, to fully understand the country’s position, it is important to understand what stakes the ROK does have in the resolution of the current disputes. This essay examines these issues and draws implications for South Korea’s relations with both the United States and China.
Read more here (purchase required)