Speaking at the CQ Forum in Seoul, Kim Won-soo, former United Nations (UN) High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said that South Korea will support international cooperation and overseas aid funds for developing countries and that this development support can play an important role in connecting the Global West and the South.[1]
Referring to South Korea’s hosting of summits on democracy and artificial intelligence, Kim said that the country is in a position to address fragmentation, skepticism and global uncertainty based on its past experience.[2] South Korean Official Development Assistance (ODA) is defined as approved official assistance to promote economic development and prosperity. ODA in South Korea is divided into three areas:[3]
1. Concessional loans to recipient countries at competitive interest rates,
2. Concessional “unconditional” grants,
3. So-called tied aid is ODA granted by the recipient country to selected development project areas on the basis of the future procurement of economic, technological materials and expertise from South Korean enterprises.
The aid Kim refers to is provided either bilaterally to recipient countries or through multilateral organizations. Since 1998, South Korea’s total ODA has increased from $182.7 million to $1.2 billion. In 2007, 14.2% of South Korean ODA was directed to Africa, 46.5% to Asia and 14.3% to the Middle East. Since 2002, South Korea’s total ODA to Africa has increased from $5.6 million to $47.8 million, while ODA to Asia and Oceania has remained flat.[4]
The Yoon Suk-yeol administration supports the international community’s efforts to tackle global challenges such as pandemics, climate crisis, food and energy insecurity. The government has also renewed its ODA initiatives to become a “globally relevant state”.
ODA is officially included in South Korea’s Sustainable Development Goals. Focusing on the effective implementation of this development assistance, the Seoul administration aims to increase the volume of ODA, strategically invest in ODA projects in pursuit of global values, improve the quality of projects, build innovation capacity and strengthen public participation.
In particular, South Korea is developing various strategies to increase interaction with UN agencies and multilateral development banks, and hosted the fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan in 2011. It also actively supports the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, of which it is a founding member. South Korea is the 24th country to coordinate and participate in international development assistance. In general terms, the concept of foreign aid in South Korea is based on two principles: (i) that foreign aid should be treated as a moral duty and (ii) that foreign aid should produce beneficial results. According to the OECD, South Korea was the world’s first aid recipient country to become an aid donor country and was removed from the World Bank’s list of aid recipients in 1995.[5]
The “Global Korea” brand was officially launched in 2009 by the Presidential Committee on National Branding within the framework of soft power. The initiative aims to differentiate the national brand of the Republic of Korea from specific South Korean companies.
The “Global Korea” national brand includes a 10-point integrated plan that includes promoting Korean martial arts, sending South Korean peacekeepers (Sangnoksu Unit) abroad to work in various countries, increasing the deployment of South Korean troops in Afghanistan, developing and exporting South Korean art and digital technology, increasing ODA, developing inter-university scholarships, and promoting South Korean multiculturalism.
South Korea’s ODA has two problems: (i) the problem of liberalization in the Global South, and (ii) the view that South Korea uses the rhetoric of “soft power” to disguise its economic interests in the hard power framework. In this case, better policy coordination between the Global South and developed countries seems necessary. South Korea’s efforts in international cooperation and development assistance have strengthened its global influence and role in the international arena.
[1] “Korea can bridge Global West, South: ex-UN Undersecretary-General”, The Korea Herald, https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240430050427, Date of Access: 10.05.2024).
[2] Same citation.
[3] Official Development Assistance (ODA) is defined as government assistance that specifically targets and promotes the economic development and welfare of developing countries. In 1969, ODA was recognized as the “gold standard” of foreign aid and has remained the main source of financing for development assistance. ODA data is collected, verified and made public by the OECD.
[4]“Korea”, OECD iLibrary, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/d919ff1a-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/d919ff1a-en#:~:text=ODA to and through the,, region, theme or purpose., (Date of Access:10.05.2024).
[5] Same citation.
