Moon's 'golden rule' with ASEAN
By Lee Seong-hyon
Putting aside all the pleasantries about the South Korea-ASEAN summit, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty of it.
I had a few chances recently to observe and study the South Korea-ASEAN relationship, including attending a forum in Kuala Lumpur, a beautiful city in Malaysia. The closed-door forum was meant to enrich ideas for the South Korea-ASEAN summit we just saw.
The host scholar in Malaysia knew me as a plain-speaking, straightforward person. So, she used me to awaken the sleepy morning session and provoke discussions. I played along. Someone took interest in me. During the coffee break, the person pulled me aside. He was a thought leader in the region and attended a series of recent South Korea-ASEAN meetings himself. He was well plugged in and in the loop on the subject. And he had valuable advice to offer.
“South Korea has only one shot with ASEAN,” he said. “So, you guys should really make good use of the ASEAN summit in Busan.” That was a simple yet powerful message. We said cheers, clinking our coffee cups. Subsequent frank conversation could be summed up in the following three golden rules.
First, it is imperative for South Korea to show its new policy initiative in ASEAN (the New Southern Policy) is here to stay, not just a short-lived experiment under the Moon Jae-in administration. Continued engagement and sustained policy investments are the key.
South Korea put ASEAN on the back-burner for too long, in terms of its regional outreach. That may not be true. But that's how the region feels. South Korea has been perennially obsessed with the North Korean issue and prioritized its diplomacy toward the so-called “Big Four” (the U.S., China, Japan and Russia) that wield clout over the Korean Peninsula. All this time, ASEAN was left outside South Korea's diplomatic purview.
The ASEAN region has been accustomed to powerful countries' opportunistic ebb and flow of outreach. It's understandable for them to feel cautious about the Moon administration's moves. It's important, therefore, for President Moon to genuinely assure ASEAN leaders of South Korea's commitment to the region.
As a student of Asian geopolitics, I feel that South Korea has no choice but to engage ASEAN. It's in South Korea's interest, given the deepening power rivalry and competition between the U.S. and China in the region. South Korea feels pinched between the two whales. ASEAN feels the same way. In this vein, Moon rallied support for greater cooperation with ASEAN, characterizing the relationship as one of shared destiny.
Second, South Korea should show long-term financial commitment to the region, not just mere slogans and headlines. Bluntly put, it is a Jerry Maguire “show me the money” moment. Moon's proposed cooperation initiatives in the region ― such as defense projects, water management, science and technology, infrastructure (railways, airports, harbors, etc.) and the smart city industry ― all require financial allocations.
These two items are the most important. And ASEAN will continue to check on them to see how serious South Korea is in its newly found infatuation with the region.
Third, South Korea should act confidently in its engagement with ASEAN. It's an explicit request from the region's thought leaders. Sure, South Korea is a latecomer compared to China and Japan when it comes to engaging ASEAN. South Korea's financial commitment to the region also could be modest compared to those of Japan and China, the world's number two and three economic giants. However, South Korea enjoys a ready welcome from ASEAN more than it realizes.
According to the region's scholars, South Korea doesn't have the legacy the so-called “historical baggage” Japan (colonial history) and China (territorial disputes) have with the region. In other words, South Korea enjoys a “Mr. Clean” image there. The widespread popularity of K-pop in the region certainly helped.
“South Korea seems a bit shy,” counseled the local expert. “That's not necessary. You guys can act more confidently here.”
Lastly, here is my two cents' worth. South Korea-ASEAN cooperation has been too much focused on highlighting economic and business opportunities. Yes, we all want business. But there is a Chinese saying, “If you want to do business, make friends first.” After all, all business is a human act. Both South Korea and ASEAN should invest in people-to-people exchanges more so as to make it a sustainable, lasting relationship.
Lee Seong-hyon (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), Ph.D., is director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute.