Korgun I.A. REPUBLIC OF KOREA’S INDO-PACIFIC STRATEGY: PRIORITIES AND REPERCUSSIONS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY IN EAST ASIA

The Bulletin of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences № 4/2023. World Economy.

Irina A. Korgun

Cand. Sci. (Econ.), Leading Researcher, Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

ORCID: 0000-0002-1496-4375

REPUBLIC OF KOREA’S INDO-PACIFIC STRATEGY: PRIORITIES AND REPERCUSSIONS FOR REGIONAL STABILITY IN EAST ASIA

112-133

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Abstract

This study aims to analyze the priorities of the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and specifically attempts to assess the potential impact of the strategy on the balance of power in the region from the perspective of classical realism. It also evaluates the extent to which the current level of economic cooperation with Southeast Asia (SEA) and India corresponds to its central position in the strategy.

The study concludes that in the medium and long term, the IPS may have a destabilizing impact on the regional situation and negatively affect the image of the ROK as a neutral player, as it has been perceived so far. According to classical realism, strengthening alliances at the expense of the interests of other players will lead to increased conflicts, as has happened repeatedly throughout history. Despite the Korean government emphasizing the significance of the SEA and India region for the economy, the ROK’s dependency on China has not diminished. Currently, there is a noticeable increase in the country’s economic interaction with the United States, further pulling Seoul into the orbit of American partners and making it a tool for achieving foreign policy and strategic goals for certain circles of the US administration.

Keywords: Indo-Pacific Strategy, Republic of Korea, trade and investment cooperation, Southeast Asia, India, USA, East Asia.

JEL: F50, F10

EDN: KTYAFG

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52180/2073-6487_2023_4_112_133

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Manuscript submission date: 20.06.2023

For citation:

Korgun I.A. Republic of Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy: priorities and repercussions for regional stability in East Asia // Vestnik Instituta Ekonomiki Rossiyskoy Akademii Nauk. 2023. № 4. Pp. 112-133. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.52180/2073-6487_2023_4_112_133 EDN: KTYAFG

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