In the era of globalization, a time that truly tests all countries politically, economically, and culturally, Korea has risen to the challenges on all fronts, both at home and abroad. Not only has the Korean government continued to expand its diplomatic ties with other countries for the purpose of deepening political, economic, social, and cultural exchanges, but it has also entered the international sphere through the fostering of important treaties with other countries such as the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements and the Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Korean diplomatic establishments continue to expand worldwide with embassies, missions, and consulate generals opening across the globe. The Korean government has also successfully developed bilateral or regional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to complement the existing multinational trading system, which has allowed Korea to overcome the economic challenges presented by an unbalanced domestic distribution of wealth and population as well as the stark realities of an aging populace and an overall low birth rate. Korea is now a key player on the world political stage. With its entry into the United Nations and other UN-affiliated organizations, Korea now joins other nations in the pursuit of peacekeeping, human rights, economic development, and environmental protection
Diplomatic Relations and Treaties
A treaty of amity establishes diplomatic relations with other countries, and in the forging of such a relationship, the two countries enter into formal cooperation on political, economic, social, and cultural issues. As of July 2024, the Republic of Korea maintained diplomatic relations with 190 countries among the 191 United Nations member states as well as with two non-UN member countries, the Cook Islands and the Vatican. UN member countries that still do not have a treaty with South Korea include Syria.
The map shows the timeline when Korea established diplomatic relations with other countries. From 1948 to the early 1960s, only 16 countries had diplomatic ties to Korea. By the end of that decade, the number rose dramatically to 65. Half of these new ties were with non-allied nations that were less developed countries (also known as Third World countries at that time) in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Korea worked to build practical and cooperative relationships with many of these developing countries in large part because of their significant ties to the international community via organizations such as the United Nations. The Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations with 30 additional countries during the 1970s and another 22 countries in the 1980s. During the Cold War, the Republic of Korea upheld the Hallstein Doctrine and did not develop diplomatic ties with countries that had official ties to North Korea. It also adhered to a policy that excluded North Korea’s participation in international conferences. In 1973, that policy was withdrawn officially as part of a joint agreement with North Korea regarding peaceful reunification. In the mid-1980s, the Soviet Union adopted a reform-oriented open-door policy, and the tensions of the Cold War era have gradually dissolved into an atmosphere of mitigation and reconciliation. In 1989, the U.S.-Soviet Union Malta Summit was held, and the two countries agreed to end the Cold War. In the same year, a democratic revolution took place in the Eastern Bloc countries, and in the following year, East Germany and West Germany were united. As the Soviet Union was officially dissolved in December 1991, the Cold War eventually ended. Along with the changing international situation, the government of the Republic of Korea pursued the so-called Northern Diplomacy and established diplomatic relations with Eastern European countries, starting with Hungary in 1989. It was followed by the historic formation of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1990 and China in 1992.
A treaty refers to an “international agreement concluded between States in written form and governed by international law, whether embodied in a single instrument or in two or more related instruments and whatever its particular designation” (Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties – Article 2, Section 1 (a)). Although the above definition pertains to the nations, generally speaking, a treaty includes international agreements between national and international organizations or between international organizations.
The map shows the countries that signed treaties with the Republic of Korea regarding matters such as guaranteed investment agreements, double taxation treaties, extradition treaties, mutual legal assistance treaties, and so forth. Specifically, 100 countries signed investment guarantee agreements, 99 signed double taxation agreements, 35 signed extradition treaties, and 33 countries signed criminal judicial cooperation treaties. Among these, 25 countries, including the U.S., China, and Japan, signed all of these treaties. The graph shows the number of treaties signed by year. It indicates that as the number of countries with diplomatic ties with South Korea has increased, the number of countries with bilateral treaties signed has increased as well. Multilateral treaties, which are more difficult to establish than bilateral treaties, have also increased steadily.
The map also presents the geographic distribution of Koreans living overseas according to data collected by Korean diplomatic missions overseas. They are divided into Korean nationals who have Korean citizenship and foreign nationals who have foreign citizenship. The Korean nationals overseas are further divided into permanent residents, international students, and sojourners. The number of Koreans overseas increased sharply in 1991 because the government started to count the Korean-Chinese population for the first time. A gradual increase appears after 1991. Currently, the number of Koreans overseas is close to 7.1 million; of that, 1 million are permanent residents, 1.3 million are sojourners, 0.2 million are international students, and 4.6 million are foreign nationals.
The graph shows the temporal changes in self-reporting Korean emigrants in terms of their destinations and goals. The number of emigrants decreased dramatically from 1984 to 2023 due to economic growth and democratization. Until the late 1980s, most emigrants moved to the U.S., but many also moved to Latin American countries. After the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, emigration to Latin America decreased while emigration to English-speaking countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand increased, resulting in an increasingly diverse distribution.
The map shows the worldwide distribution of Korean diplomatic missions overseas. The diplomatic missions overseas are grouped into embassies, missions, and consulate generals. Embassies are set up in the capital of a country with whom Korea has established diplomatic relations. Permanent missions are set up within an international organization that Korea joins. Consulate generals are opened wherever a large number of Koreans reside overseas. At present, the Korean government manages 116 resident embassies, five permanent missions, and 46 consulate generals across the 191 countries with whom Korea maintains diplomatic relations. Many consulate generals are found in North America and Asia because of close relationships, particularly with the U.S., Japan, and China, and because many Koreans live in those regions. The number of diplomatic missions abroad has steadily increased. The Asian financial crisis in 1997, however, forced South Korea to close 22 such establishments. Later, the number rebounded back to the previous levels as the economy recovered. This indicates that the number of diplomatic missions overseas is dependent on socioeconomic conditions. North Korea, on the other hand, has 39 resident embassies, three permanent missions,and two consulate generals.
Free Trade Agreement and Regional Collaboration System
After the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the Korean government began to initiate the bilateral or regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) process to complement the multinational trade system. They believed that the FTAs would help Korea respond to the global expansion of regional economic blocs externally and would help mitigate the sluggish domestic economic growth stemming from the aging Korean population, the decreasing birth rate, and the uneven distribution of wealth and
population within the country.
The Korean government negotiated its first FTA with Chile, and after five years an agreement was reached in February 2003. Subsequently, Korea reached similar agreements with Singapore and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2005 and these remain in effect. As of April 2024, FTAs are in effect between Korea and the ten countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India, 28 countries in the European Union (EU), Peru, the US, Türkiye, Australia, Canada, China, New Zealand, Vietnam, Columbia, the 5 Central American countries, the United Kingdom, the 15 countries of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Israel, Cambodia, and Indonesia, totaling 59 countries.
The FTAs with 9 countries including the Philippines, Guatemala, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ecuador, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been agreed upon. FTAs are also under negotiation with Korea-China-Japan, the 4 countries, the five countries in Mercosur, Mongolia, and Georgia. The Korean government has prepared to resume negotiations with the four countries in the Pacific Alliance (PA), Tanzania, Egypt, Morocco, and 13 other countries.
Recently, the TIPF (Trade and Investment Promotion Framework) and EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) are expanding in the global trade environments. TIPF and EPA are new trade agreements that arose in the expansion of globalization and the focus toward supply chains and resources, after the advent of FTAs. Korea has been expanding its economic territory by cooperating with more countries through various forms, including TIPF and EPA.
TIPF is a type of MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that does not address trade cooperation or market opening between countries. As of April 2024, TIPFs have been signed with 14 countries, including Bulgaria and Oman, starting with the United Arab Emirates in January 2023. The Korean government is conducting negotiations with 26 countries, including Ireland and Portugal.
Compared to FTAs, EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) involves a lighter level of market opening but places greater emphasis on industrial cooperation, such as energy supply chain collaboration. negotiations are underway with Mongolia and Georgia as of 2024, and talks are expected to expand with 8 other countries, including Thailand, Morocco, and Bangladesh.
The map presents the regional collaboration systems that Korea has participated in, including the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Forum for East Asia – Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), East Asian Summit (EAS), the G20 Summit, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP <map> Korea's Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF)
Korea is one of the founding members of APEC, which was established in 1989. Korea has also participated in ARF, which was established in 1994 to keep peace in Asia and the Pacific regions after the Cold War. Korea has also joined ASEM, which was formalized in 1996 with the goal of helping to forge closer economic relationships between Asia and Europe. Through ASEM, Korea has contributed to economic, social, political, and cultural collaborations. As a member of FEALAC, which was established in 1999, Korea has promoted mutual understandings between East Asia and Latin America. Korea has also worked closely with China, Japan, and ASEAN member countries through the EAS to build an East Asian community. Korea joined the ACD to facilitate international cooperation among Asian countries. Korea has also participated in the G20 Summit, whose members include the G7 and Australia, with the intention of helping to restore international order after the financial crisis triggered by the US subprime mortgage sector. Korea has also participated in the UN ESCAP, which was established after World War II.
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) is the only regional economic cooperation system that Korea participates in, making it Korea’s largest economic cooperation partner. Trade with APEC member countries accounts for more than half of Korea's total exports and imports. APEC is the world’s largest regional cooperation system, accounting for about 40% of the global population, approximately 60% of global GDP, and around 50% of global trade. Its main focus is facilitating smooth policy dialogue and consultations among Asia-Pacific nations, and it was upgraded to a summit-level meeting in 1993.
As of 2022, Korea's export share to APEC stands at 76.8%, which is significantly higher compared to the EU’s 10%. APEC also accounts for 67.4% of Korea's total imports, and in terms of investment, APEC represents 52.8% of foreign investment inflows and 58.6% of Korea's overseas investment destinations. The high economic share of APEC is due to the inclusion of Korea’s major trade and investment partners— the United States, China, and the 7 ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei)—within APEC.
The increasing transnational movement of people, goods, and information demands that all countries work together. Korea has promoted hosting international organizations, resulting in many headquarters or branch offices.
Seoul, Korea’s capital, hosts approximately 34 international organization headquarters, secretariats, and offices. Among these, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and International Vaccine Institute (IVI) deserve attention for the vital role they play in the world. GGGI is the first international organization initiated by the Korean government. It was established in 2010 to help less developed
countries to integrate economic growth with environmental sustainability. It located its branch offices in the major world cities in 2011 and was officially approved during the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). In addition, IVI was established as a nonprofit international organization in Seoul in 1997. It dedicates itself to vaccine research and development, which in turn enables more efficient and affordable distribution of immunizations in less developed
countries.
The United Nations (UN) has played an important role in Korea's diplomacy since the Korean government was established in 1948. In 1949, Korea joined the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Universal Postal Union (UPU), and the World Health Organization (WHO). As shown on the map, the number of UN or UN-affiliated organizations that Korea has joined has reached 26.
When Korea became a member of the United Nations in 1991, the nation found itself in a better position for international cooperation. Korea has also served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In addition, Korea served as the chair of the 56th UN General Assembly. In 2007, Ban Ki-moon from Korea was inaugurated as the 8th secretary-general of the United Nations.
As of 2023, Korea has also joined 95 intergovernmental organizations for multilateral collaboration to deal with international issues in the global economy, resource development, international cooperation and development, disease control, and environmental protection.
Korea's Activities at the United Nations
As a member state of the United Nations, Republic of Korea contributes to the UN Regular Budget. The UN Regular Budget is prepared every two years and approved by the General Assembly and is funded by contributions from member states. The assessment rate for each member state is determined every three years by the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, based on recommendations from the Committee on Contributions, which consists of 18 countries. The assessment rate is primarily proportional to each country's Gross National Income (GNI), but adjustments are made for countries with significant external debt by reducing their annual national income by the amount of debt repayments. Furthermore, each country's assessment rate is subject to a ceiling of 22% and a floor of 0.001%. As our economy has grown rapidly, our assessment rate has significantly increased from 0.69% in 1990 to 2.574% in 2023. This places us at 9th in the world, and it is expected that the amount we contribute will continue to increase proportionally with our economic growth.
The number of our citizens joining international organizations and the variety of organizations they are joining have been steadily increasing. To secure an international standing commensurate with our increased financial contributions, the government is actively promoting the entry of Korean nationals into senior positions in major international organizations, as well as expanding the presence of Korean personnel in various international organization secretariats. As part of efforts to
increase the presence of our citizens in international organizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the International Organizations Recruitment Center in 1996. The center strengthens the foundation for our citizens to enter international organizations through various initiatives, including the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) program, dispatching volunteers through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, holding informational sessions about international organizations, and operating a website that provides information on job opportunities in international organizations.
Republic of Korea actively contributes to United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) to peacefully resolve conflicts and address human rights violations occurring around the world. These operations are conducted based on resolutions by the UN Security Council or the General Assembly. When parties involved in a conflict agree to resolution efforts, UN member states without vested interests in the conflict region voluntarily send military and civilian forces at the request of the UN Secretary-General. These personnel maintain political and military neutrality while the UN leads efforts to peacefully manage and resolve the conflict.
As of 2023, Korea has deployed a total of 545 personnel to six UN peacekeeping missions. Specifically, these include 266 staffs to the Hanbit Unit in South Sudan, 252 to the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon, 12 to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), 6 to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), 6 to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and 3 to the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). These deployments are involved in activities such as peacekeeping, ceasefire monitoring, reconstruction support, and implementation of peace agreements.
In South Sudan, the Hanbit Unit, the largest contingent, has recently prevented disruptions in the supply of food and materials to key locations by expanding airport runways and improving roads. They have also engaged in civil-military operations and community outreach activities, bringing hope to the local community. In other regions, Korean personnel continue to engage in peacekeeping, ceasefire monitoring, reconstruction support, and the implementation of peace agreements.
Korea's contribution rate to the PKO budget, similar to its regular budget assessment rate, is 2.574%, ranking 9th among UN member states.