Korea (ROK) held the first Korea–Pacific Islands Summit at head-of-state level on May 29/30 and entered an already crowded Pacific region.

Korean Peninsula

One of the few countries that managed to successfully transform itself from an aid-receiving country to a donor country, South Korea is an economic success story which is often seen as a role model for emerging countries in the region and beyond. Its foreign policy seeks to capitalize on these assets but, as a middle-power, Seoul is also active in shaping a regional architecture for East Asia.
However, the erratic behavior of its northern neighbor persistently undermines the stability of the peninsula, making its objective difficult to achieve. Ifri's Center for Asian Studies examines the developments on the Korean peninsula from these two complementary perspectives.
Senior Research Fellow and Director of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies
...Despite all the talks about the reshuffling of value-chains and the trend to a form of industrial “Desinicization” (or decoupling/disengagement from China), the example of South Korea does not vindicate such assertions.
As a key manufacturer of high-end technology components critical to the sustainability of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, South Korea is essential in any effort to rebuild a resilient global supply chain but also to the promotion of a clean economy. South Korea can thus contribute to...
South Korea's defense modernization plan, Defense Reform 2.0, represents a significant effort in terms of military capabilities since 2018. The outgoing president, Moon Jae-in, has placed particular emphasis on high-tech acquisition as well as transforming the Korean defense...
Despite their difference in size, Korea and the EU have developed over time a strong and deep relation through direct investment flows. Germany dominates the relationship, but there remains ample room for the other EU member-states to further develop their relations with Korea.
Despite some constraints on their Indo-Pacific strategies, South Korea and France could consider bilateral dialogues for partnership in the Indo-Pacific, leading to a high level of confidence and strategic convergence in security.
Françoise Nicolas contributed the chapter on trade, providing more insights into the opportunities and challenges South Korea and the EU need to address to revive the rules-based multilateral trading system.
For anyone who still harbored doubts, Washington made crystal clear from the announcement of the new trilateral alliance with Australia and the UK (AUKUS) that countering China is its number one priority, and that it will do whatever it takes to succeed. Much has been said about the...
China is now an undeniable heavyweight on the international scene, wielding a remarkable range of political strategies. Studying its position in the surrounding area of Southeast Asia in relation to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, as well...
Diversification is a key tenet of South Korea’s New Southern Policy (NSP). In the economic sphere, however, the need for diversification is apparently less pressing as, unlike what is observed in the diplomatic and security domains, Korea’s economic partnerships are less unbalanced and are not...
Economic Security and East Asia: De-risking in an Era of Strategic Competition Conférence
Annual Conference of Ifri's Center for Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies. As strategic competition becomes an increasingly dominant feature of the international system today, the “de-risking” of interdependent economic ties has emerged as a new mantra for managing geopolitical uncertainty.
Asia after the War in Ukraine: Re-imagining multilateralism and the risk of high-intensity conflict Hybrid Conference
Annual conference of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies. The war in Ukraine has marked the return of high-intensity conflict in Europe and represents a profound, structural shift in the region’s strategic environment. It also takes place against a backdrop of a decades-long...
Conference with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India Ifri Conferences
How India sees France. A conference with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India.
East Asia’s Evolving Economic Order: Toward Cohesion or Fragmentation? Videoconference
The era of hyper globalization is now transforming into an age of geoeconomics, where trade and economic relations are increasingly conditioned by national security concerns. What impact will this shift have on the regional trade architecture and economic strategies in East Asia? <...>
Technological Revolution and Regional Order in East Asia Webinar Series
Against an increasingly tense backdrop of geopolitical competition, a new wave of rapid technological change is likely to transform the regional landscape of East Asia.
Conversation on Technological Change and its Implications, with Audrey Tang, Digital Minister, Taiwan Videoconference
To conclude our webinar series on "Technological Revolution and Regional Order in East Asia", we will host Audrey Tang, Digital Minister of Taiwan, to discuss the scope of...
A New Player in the Indo-Pacific? South Korea’s New Southern Policy
President Moon launched the New Southern Policy as a key diplomatic initiative to strenghen the relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.The comprehensive scheme is resting on the “three Ps” of People, Prosperity and Peace.
The US-China Rivalry: Adjusting Strategies in Asia and Europe Conference
The deepening strategic rivalry between the United States and China has repositioned geopolitics at the center of the international system today.
South Korea at the Crossroads – Security and Economic Regional Strategy in a Fluid Environment
Positioning itself as a ‘middle power’, South Korea has promoted an increasingly proactive regional diplomacy, in particular by organizing a diversity of high-level multilateral gatherings on regional security governance, such as the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI) or...
From Crisis to Peace-making in Korea: President Moon Jae-in’s peace initiative Seminar-debate
What is the prospect of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in 2019? A debate with Moon Chung-in, special advisor for unification and national security affairs to ROK President Moon Jae-in.
Recent US military activity in the Asia-Pacific is on the rise, including drills in the Philippines and South Korea as well as a submarine deal struck between the US and Australia. China has, meanwhile, accused the US of encircling the country. FRANCE 24 speaks with an expert to shed light on...
In this interview, Choong-Ryeol Lee, professor at Korea University looks at the objectives of Korea's New Southern Policy, its economic impact, and Korea's economic cooperation with India.
A webinar by the Center for Asian Studies on South Korea's New Southern Policy examined the motivations, objectives, and means of, as well as possible challenges to, this policy, through an analysis of economic and trade cooperation on the one hand (Prosperity) and diplomatic...
Officially, Japan has “national security” concerns about technology exports to South Korea. Unofficially, World War II still casts an ugly shadow.
This Friday, April 27, the South Korean and North Korean leaders will meet in the demilitarized zone dividing their estranged countries to discuss improving relations and possibly even formally ending the Korean War, which has continued in the form of an often tense and fragile armistice since...
Despite the political tensions that oppose Japan, China and South Korea, recent months have seen a certain rapprochement between Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. The first trilateral summit in three years was held in November 2015.
Corea del Norte ha tratado esta semana de aumentar la presión para ser reconocida como una potencia nuclear con la prueba del pasado miércoles en la que aseguraba que empleó una bomba de hidrógeno. Y ha introducido un nuevo elemento en el gran juego de alianzas estratégicas y comerciales que...