S. Korea, Saudi Arabia call for 'political solution' to Israel-Palestine conflict
President Yoon Suk Yeol rides in a vehicle driven by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the state guesthouse in Riyadh, Tuesday. After having a conversation at the guesthouse, the two took a 15-minute ride to go to the Future Investment Initiative forum. Joint Press Corps
The leaders of South Korea and Saudi Arabia have called for “a political solution” to prevent the conflict between Israel and Palestine’s militant group Hamas from spreading further, in what appears to be a balancing effort considering the two countries’ relations with the Arab world, Israel and the United States.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman noted this in a joint statement, Tuesday, two days after their meeting in Riyadh on the occasion of Yoon’s state visit to the kingdom. It was the first joint statement between the two countries since 1980.
In the joint statement, the two sides “rejected targeting civilians in any way” regarding the escalating situation between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians. They also agreed to work with the international community for “unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance.”
While focusing on humanitarian assistance, the leaders stressed “the importance of intensifying efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading and the need for political solution and durable peace based on the two-state solution,” according to the joint statement.
The two-state solution is a proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples ― Israel for the Jews and Palestine for the Palestinians. This was highlighted by the 1993 Oslo Accords between then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas, who is now president of the State of Palestine.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman walk before their meeting at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Sunday (local time), on the occasion of Yoon's state visit to Saudi Arabia. Joint Press Corps
South Korea has been expressing its support for the two-state solution. On Oct. 10, Foreign Minister Park Jin said in a parliamentary audit that the government “basically supports the two-state solution and hopes for a peaceful resolution of all conflicts through dialogues,” rather than expressing support for a particular side.
When asked whether Korea recognizes Hamas as a terrorist group, Park also called it “an armed organization with effective control on the Gaza Strip,” citing Seoul’s law stipulating a terrorist group means a “group of terrorists designated by the United Nations.”
“The joint statement appears to be an outcome of prudent consideration of the two countries’ relations with the U.S., Israel and other Middle Eastern nations,” said Go Myong-hyun, a senior research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
“Particularly for South Korea, which has been seeking to expand its economic partnerships with Saudi Arabia, it has to show respect to Saudi Arabia’s position as one of the leaders in the Arab world, while at the same time aligning its diplomatic stance with its biggest ally, the U.S., which is showing support for Israel.”
As Go noted, the statement reads that “the Korean side noted with appreciation Saudi Arabia’s active role in reducing tensions and promoting peace in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia’s recent efforts to restore relations with Iran.” Iran has long been purported as a Hamas backer, and described as an archenemy of Israel.
Against this backdrop, U.S. news outlets reported earlier this week that the Joe Biden administration is pressing Israel to delay an expected ground invasion into Gaza, citing administration officials.
“It seems like the U.S. is drawing a certain line in its support for Israel, and this alleviates pressure on South Korea to issue a strong supportive message that it stands by Israel,” Go said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, tour an exhibition on NEOM in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday (local time). Joint Press Corps
Expanding economic partnerships
While taking a cautious stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the leaders took bold steps in expanding their economic partnerships.
In the joint statement, the two sides decided to deepen their “future-oriented strategic partnership” so that they can promote practical partnerships in the fields of trade, construction, defense, energy, climate and cultural exchanges.
In doing so, the leaders agreed to “actively explore the expansion of mutual investments in areas of common interest including the hydrogen economy, smart cities, future mobility means and startups.”
The leaders expressed their wishes for the continued expansion of bilateral cooperation on hydrogen, citing recent achievements such as the cooperation agreement on clean hydrogen between Korean companies and the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the first commercial shipment of clean ammonia produced by Riyadh to Seoul.
Yoon and Prince Mohammed acknowledged that cooperation in the fields of construction and infrastructure is highly symbolic, and agreed to collaborate for the success of Saudi Arabia’s major development projects, such as the NEOM region, Qiddiya entertainment city and the Red Sea Project which aims to develop the Red Sea coast of the kingdom to house luxury and ecotourism attractions.
President Yoon Suk Yeol poses with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, right, and Minister of National Guard Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud during their meeting at the state guesthouse in Riyadh, Monday (local time). Joint Press Corps
The two sides’ cooperation will also entail national defense and defense industries. The statement noted that the two countries will coordinate “in a way that serves the common interests of the two countries and contributes to achieving security and peace in the region and the world.”
In line with this move, Yoon had a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud on Monday and expressed Seoul’s hope to contribute to Riyadh’s efforts to strengthen its national defense capabilities. The minister also said Saudi Arabia hopes to cooperate with Korea in next-generation defense.
A day earlier, Seoul’s presidential office said South Korea and Saudi Arabia are in the final stages of talks for a sizeable defense deal. The details remain confidential, but defense industry officials anticipate that the deal may include South Korea’s Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile defense system.
Regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, the leaders stressed that the use of force causing casualties of innocent people cannot be justified under any circumstances, and emphasized the importance of settling the conflict by peaceful means.
In terms of North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, the two sides condemned all forms of violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions and highlighted the importance of supporting international efforts aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction.