▶ Yoon's Liberal Values Diplomacy: President Yoon emphasizes a diplomatic policy rooted in liberal values, highlighted by the Spirit of Camp David agreement with the U.S. and Japan.

▶ Adapting to Global Challenges: Despite crises and anti-globalization sentiments, South Korea aims to secure international leadership through liberal value diplomacy as the liberal international order evolves.

▶ Unification Vision: Yoon's administration seeks to unify the Korean Peninsula based on liberal democracy, aiming for regional stability and global prosperity in contrast to North Korea's isolationist stance.

Since the beginning of his term, South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol has emphasized a diplomatic security policy guided by liberal values. Yoon has repeatedly highlighted South Korea’s role in defending these values in various international fora. In particular, the Spirit of Camp David joint statement between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan was a historic and meaningful commitment to this end from the most liberal democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific region.

While there is some debate among experts about whether it is desirable for Korea’s foreign policy to be based on liberal values, it is widely recognized that Korea experienced the highest level of economic growth and democratic development among about 50 Asian countries within the context of the liberal democratic international order. Consequently, the prevailing opinion is that it is imperative for the international community to strive to protect this status quo in the face of challenges from illiberal adversaries.  

In his congratulatory speech on March 1, President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized the vision of a unified Korean Peninsula based on the values of liberal democracy. This vision aligns with the Korean government's foreign and security policies over the past two years. Notably, the President's assertion that promoting unification on the Korean Peninsula is the ultimate fulfillment of liberal democracy is especially significant, given that it came at a time when North Korea claimed that the two Koreas are separate states. Unlike North Korea, which is isolated from the international community and has an abnormal national identity, South Korea respects the universal values of liberal democracy. Furthermore, South Korea expresses its willingness to achieve unification on the Korean Peninsula based on these values, demonstrating the most active realization of national identity for both the Korean people and the international community.

The current liberal international order is facing an unprecedented crisis. Historically, the liberal order that emerged after World War II has weathered structural crises, such as the Cold War. However, the Cold War, in a way, justified the existence of the liberal order. The liberal ideology that triumphed in the Cold War has driven economic prosperity and political democratization over the past 30 years, under the banner of globalization.

In recent years, the international order has been undergoing a significant and complex transition, often described as a “crisis of restructuring.” Skepticism about globalization has grown, particularly in the wake of anti-globalization sentiments highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many experts, both domestically and internationally, believe that the liberal international order will eventually emerge more advanced through a process of self-adjustment. (1) 

In this context, more efficient and diverse forms of multilateral cooperation are expected to develop. The liberal value diplomacy advocated by the Korean government is seen as an opportunity to secure international leadership during this transition.

The term "international order" refers to the collection of institutions, organizations, norms, and rules that govern relationships between nations. When these relationships are regular and predictable, it is possible to create and maintain an orderly state that prevents chaos. While liberalism won't be the only guiding principle in this order, since World War II, the United States has established and upheld a liberal, rule-based system. This system inevitably emphasizes the power and interests of certain groups, but it has also created common norms and multilateral institutions respected by the international community. The United States will continue to adapt in order to sustain liberal norms and multilateral solutions.

Last year, marking the 70th anniversary of the Korea-U.S. alliance, the two nations, both firmly rooted in liberal democratic values, pledged to deepen their cooperation to tackle various global crises. South Korea, having thrived by leveraging the liberal international order since the Korean War, now faces the need to actively address current challenges to this order.

Revisionist countries proposing alternatives to the liberal order are emerging, and nations in the Global South are seeking new paths in a 21st-century non-aligned movement. (2)  In this context, South Korea stands out with the most successful economic growth model in Asia and a robust, dynamic democratic political system. Therefore, it is crucial for South Korea to demonstrate its problem-solving capabilities to the international community and to work towards achieving liberal democratic unification with North Korea on the Korean Peninsula.

Korea's sense of international political responsibility has been well understood by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration from its inception. In the post-COVID-19 international order, marked by intensified geopolitical crises due to the prolonged war in Ukraine, increasing selfishness among major powers, and widespread political populism, President Yoon has recognized these challenges. Despite these difficulties, his administration has actively engaged in reshaping the liberal international order with the goal of securing unprecedented international leadership for Korea. He has strategically sought to turn this crisis into an opportunity for Korean diplomacy.

As part of this strategy, President Yoon has expressed a strong commitment to normalizing relations with Japan to lead peace and prosperity in East Asia and to play an active role in the Pacific security order, which has gained new importance. The government's efforts are now making significant strides toward reunification with North Korea, as clearly reflected in the president's commemorative speech on the March 1st Movement.

Since the establishment of the modern government in 1948, Korea has achieved its dual goals of economic growth and political development. However, foreign policy has been plagued by chronic issues, notably the North Korean problem and the complex diplomatic and security environment amid great power competition in the region. Security instability from North Korea, often referred to as the "Korea Discount," has hindered Korea's further development, while daily diplomatic challenges with nations possessing greater foreign and security assets have been a constant reality. Ironically, these challenges have in a way helped to stimulate Korea's economic growth and have forced the nation to strengthen its diplomatic capabilities, despite the significant national costs involved.

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has now declared its intention to actively pursue liberal democratic values in its approach to unification. Given the lasting state of division between the two Koreas, North Korea's nuclear development, and ongoing military tensions, South Korea faces one of the most sensitive security situations in the world. The Korean Peninsula issue encompasses more than just North Korea's nuclear ambitions; it is intricately linked to the geopolitical interests of the U.S. and China. Thus, resolving the Korean Peninsula issue is part of the broader strategic competition between these superpowers.

The Korean Peninsula's challenges are also interconnected with the Taiwan issue and broader Southeast Asian and South China Sea matters. For instance, any impediment to South Korea's freedom of navigation in the South China Sea would severely impact its trade and energy transportation. The North Korean issue is at the heart of these challenges. North Korea, more than any other nation, needs the values of liberal democracy that the South Korean government champions. Achieving unification on the Korean Peninsula, guided by these values, is seen as the ultimate realization of the Korean government's liberal democratic aspirations. Efforts to encourage North Korea to embrace liberal democracy should be viewed as a historic and necessary endeavor.

At this critical juncture, the South Korean government is determined to leverage liberal democratic values to achieve unification with North Korea, thereby enhancing its international leadership. This initiative is vital not only for Korea's future but also for the stability and prosperity of the broader international community.

[1] Rebbeca Alder-Nissen & Ayse Zarakol, “Struggles for Recognition: The Liberal International Order and the Mergers of Its Discontents,” International Organization, vol. 73, no. 2 (2021), pp. 611-634; Carla Norrlof, “Is covid-19 liberal democratic curse? Risks for Liberal International Order,” Cambridge Review of International Affairs, vol. 33, no. 5 (2021), pp. 799-813.

[2] Darren Walker, “Can the G-20 Be a Champion for the Global South?,” Foreign Policy, Sep 8, 2023.