60 Years Young: Will President Yoon’s Visit to Ottawa Usher in a New Era for Canada-Korea Relations?

September 29, 2022

► The readout from President Yoon’s meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau underscored that the two countries share a special friendship that is founded on Canada’s support for the South in the Korean War, a mutual commitment to multilateralism, and a desire for economic partnerships that work for everyone.

► Coming on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the upgrade to a “comprehensive” strategic partnership sets the stage for a set of activities in 2023 that not only celebrate the anniversary but also chart the path for collaboration on specific issues under the five priority areas.

President Yoon Suk-Yul’s visit to Canada last week was his first formal bilateral with a foreign leader. It came on the heels of his speech to the UN General Assembly, in which the President articulated his government’s perspective on recent world events and outlined a vision for Korea’s role in international affairs.

The readout from President Yoon’s meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau underscored that the two countries share a special friendship that is founded on Canada’s support for the South in the Korean War, a mutual commitment to multilateralism, and a desire for economic partnerships that work for everyone.

Notably, the two leaders agreed to enhance the Canada-South Korea bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership focused on five priorities: defending the rules-based international system, democracy, freedom, human rights, and gender equality; strengthening security and defence partnerships; working together in science, technology, and innovation; promoting trade and investment; and deepening partnerships in health and culture.

Coming on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the upgrade to a “comprehensive” strategic partnership sets the stage for a set of activities in 2023 that not only celebrate the anniversary but also chart the path for collaboration on specific issues under the five priority areas. It is important that both sides come up with concrete plans as soon as possible and match their words with the financial resources to mark a relationship that should be seen as 60 years young, rather than 60 years old.

The two leaders agreed to strengthen economic security at a time of growing disruption and uncertainty caused by the pandemic and geo-politics. They pledged to deepen cooperation on supply chain resiliency, critical minerals, and batteries for electric vehicles.

In these domains, the complementarities between Korea and Canada are obvious: Canada is a resource rich country with pockets of expertise in renewable energy, including electronic vehicle batteries. Korea, on the other hand, is an advanced manufacturing powerhouse that is reliant on foreign sources for raw materials and intermediate inputs. Both are dependent on access to markets in Asia and North America, notably China and the United States, and buffeted from time to time by protectionist actions.

The case for supply-chain cooperation among trusted partners is a strong one, and Canada and Korea are natural partners. But the two countries are among many other “friendly” countries that are seeking to secure supply of inputs on the one hand and guaranteed access to markets on the other.

Difficult choices will have to be made about the allocation of resources in the context of scarcity and competition. In the weeks prior to President Yoon’s visit, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany came to Ottawa to also discuss supply-chain cooperation and energy security, as did a high-level delegation from Japan. A similar discussion is happening with the United States, in the context of North American integration.

Canadians are dawning to the realization that the country can play a vital role in improving security of supply of energy and critical minerals to global markets. The appetite to do so is great, but it is mitigated by concerns about setting back Canada’s commitment to meeting its GHG emissions targets and, more importantly, the country’s ability to review, approve and complete infrastructure projects in a timely manner.

In this regard, the first test of Canada’s role as a trusted supplier of vital resources to new markets is the completion of gas liquefaction facilities on the west coast of the country and the associated pipelines that access feedstock from the interior. It has been over a decade since the idea of LNG exports to Asia has been floated as a game changer for energy security in the region. As an investor in the largest LNG project in Canada, KOGAS is a pioneer, but the actual delivery of Canadian LNG to Korea and other Asian markets is still some years away.

Other areas of collaboration such as in health sciences, cultural industries, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence are not as dependent on physical infrastructure but nevertheless require sustained support for Korean and Canadian experts to build relationships for successful joint projects.

There are other items in President Yoon’s speech to the UN General Assembly which lend themselves to the enhanced Canada-Korea strategic partnership. In particular, Korea’s commitment to increased ODA to reduce the digital divide, address global health issues, and advance green technologies in the developing world are areas where Canada can be a partner on, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

As it turns out, both countries are working on their respective Indo-Pacific Strategies, which are expected in the Fall. There is likely to be much alignment between the two, but it will be in the nuances of each strategy that reveal the extent to which Canada and Korea are actually pursuing similar goals in the region. Key points to watch for are the positioning of China in the respective strategies, and the degree to which Seoul and Ottawa create space to deviate from US geo-strategic priorities that are inimical to Korean and Canadian interests.

Surprisingly, President Yoon did not in his UN speech or the bilateral readout refer to his government’s new framing of Korea as a Global Pivoting State. The notion of Korea as a kind of GPS (in the navigational sense) on international issues is an echo of Canada’s traditional self-image as a middle power that “punches above its weight”. Even as Ottawa reflects on whether that characterization is still valid, an ongoing exchange with Seoul on its own conception of “middle power” status could be clarifying for both sides.

Not least, the two leaders reflected on the ongoing threat of nuclear war in the Korean Peninsula and measures to deal with an increasingly belligerent leader in the North. Canada has not had a meaningful role in de-escalation since the 2018 Vancouver meeting of foreign ministers on Security and Stability in the Korean Peninsula. A commitment to closer relations in the context of the 60th anniversary may open up space for fresh efforts by Canadians, especially in the area of Parliamentary and Track 2 diplomacy.

Nearly eight years after the coming into effect of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (Canada’s only bilateral FTA in Asia), there is a widespread sense that the bilateral relationship is performing well below its potential. However, a global pandemic, sustained geopolitical conflict, and international economic stresses have conspired to bring the two countries closer together. It was a different set of crises 70 years ago that forged a profound bond between Canada and Korea; we should be so fortunate if our response to contemporary global challenges results in a deepening and strengthening of that bond.

AUTHORS

The Honourable Yuen Pau Woo is an independent Senator in the Parliament of Canada, representing British Columbia. He is a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Peace and Security in the Korean Peninsula. He has previously served as President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and on the Standing Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council.

Published in Korea on Point by the Sejong Institute

Back to: Op-Eds