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South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with 191 countries. The country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. South Korea has also hosted major international events such as the 1988 Summer Olympics and 2002 World Cup Football Tournament (2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted with Japan) and the 2011 IAAF World Championships Daegu South Korea. Furthermore, South Korea had hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics which took place in Pyeongchang from 9 to 25 February.
South Korea is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OECD/DAC, ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit (EAS), and G-20. It is also a founding member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the East Asia Summit.
On January 1, 2007, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon assumed the post of UN Secretary-General, serving in that post until December 31, 2016.
South Korea held the 2023 South Korea-Pacific Islands Summit and the 2024 South Korea-Africa Summit, and is also promoting the Korea-Central Asia Summit to deepen cooperation with developing countries. [1]
South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy is a comprehensive strategy that encompasses the economic and security spheres of Indo-Pacific countries. Announcing the strategy, the country said, "While strengthening the rules-based International order, which is conducive to a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, we will work towards a regional order that enables a diverse set of nations to cooperate and prosper together." [2]
South Korea has the following trade agreements: [3]
As of late 2021 states of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates), Israel, Japan, Malaysia, MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market—Mercado comun del sur), Mexico, Mongolia, RCEP (Asian 10 Countries, Korea, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, India), Russia (BEPA), SACU (South Asia Cooperation Union) and South Korea-China-Japan [5] are in negotiations about the FTA with South Korea. [6]
Active South Korean-Chinese people-to-people contacts have been encouraged. Academics, journalists and particularly families divided between South Korea and the People's Republic of China (PRC) were able to exchange visits freely in the late 1980s. Nearly 2 million ethnic Koreans, especially in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province of Northeast China, have interacted with South Koreans.[ clarification needed ]
Trade between the two countries continued to increase nonetheless, Furthermore, China has attempted to mediate between North Korea and the United States, and between North Korea and Japan. China also initiated and promoted tripartite talks between North Korea, South Korea and the U.S.
South Korea had long been an ally of Taiwan. Diplomatic ties between Seoul and Taipei were nevertheless severed in 1992. Formal diplomatic relations were established between Seoul and Beijing on August 24, 1992.
In 2004 the PRC government began the Northeast Project, sparking a massive uproar in South Korea when the project was widely publicized. [7]
After the KORUS FTA (United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement) was finalized on June 30, 2007, the Chinese government has immediately begun seeking an FTA agreement with South Korea. [8] The FTA between South Korea and China are under discussion. South Korea has been running a trade surplus with China which hit a record US$32.5 billion in 2009. [9] [10]
On 23 August 1992, the government of the Republic of China (by then only in control of the island of Taiwan and a few outlying areas) severed diplomatic relations with South Korea in advance of its announcement of formal recognition of the People's Republic of China based in Beijing. The Yonhap News said in 2002 that since then relations between the two governments have been "in a rut". [11]
The relation between South Korea and Japan has both political conflicts and economic intimacies. Examples of conflicts include the East sea naming dispute, visits by successive Japanese Prime Ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine and the disputed ownership of Dokdo of the island Korea.
On January 18, 1952, The first president of South Korea Syngman Rhee declared that the vicinity of Dokdo was a territory of South Korea (Syngman Rhee line). Subsequently, some 3,000 Japanese fishermen who conducted fishery operations in this vicinity were captured. This incident, called the Dai Ichi Daihoumaru Ship case strained relations between South Korea and Japan.
June 22, 1965, The president in South Korea Park Chung Hee concluded the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and South Korea As a result, Japan considered South Korea to be the legitimate successor of its rule over the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea's trade with Japan was US$892.1 million in 2008, with a surplus of nearly US$327.1 million on the Japanese side. [12] Japanese and South Koreans firms often had interdependent relations, which gave Japan advantages in South Korea's growing market.
In 1996 FIFA announced that the South Korea-Japan would jointly host the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The next few years would see leaders of both countries meet to warm relations in preparations for the games. [13] The year 2005 was designated as the "Japan-South Korea Friendship Year". However, the Liancourt Rocks controversy erupted again when Japan's Shimane Prefecture declared "Takeshima Day", inciting mass demonstrations in South Korea. [14]
Japan calls South Korea a partner in its diplomatic charter, [15] [ unreliable source? ] and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also said, "Korea and Japan are now partners who share universal values and pursue common interests." [16]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on March 26, 1990. South Korea has an embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. [17] Mongolia has an embassy in Seoul. [18]
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties on 3 March 1949, the relationship between the Philippines and South Korea has flourished. The Philippines was one of the first countries that extended diplomatic recognition to South Korea. This was cemented with the Philippine government's deployment of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) to help South Korea against the invasion of the communist North during the Korean War in the 1950s. After the war, the Philippines provided development assistance to South Korea and helped the country rebuild itself.
Since then, the Philippines's relations with South Korea have evolved with South Korea becoming one of the Philippines's most important bilateral partners aside from the United States, China and Japan. The Philippines's government seeks to cultivate strategic ties with South Korea given its increasing presence in the country. In the coming years, the Philippines anticipates to benefit from exploring unprecedented opportunities from South Korea that shall contribute significantly to the country's trade and economy, defense and security, and society and culture.
The relationship between these two Sinosphere countries is usually described as "from enemies to friends". Despite the two states' hostile positions in the Vietnam War and South Korean war crimes and atrocities in the Vietnam War, which still causes lingering controversies between the two states, both countries have still become each other's most important trade partner throughout their relationship. South Korea is the third biggest trade partner of Vietnam while also being the second-biggest ODA provider and the biggest foreign direct investor to Vietnam; meanwhile, Vietnam is the third-biggest trade partner of South Korea and it is also hosting many important factories and facilities of South Korea's biggest conglomerate such as Samsung and LG. [19] [20]
In December 2022, the two nations have elevated their ties to comprehensive strategic partnership – technically the highest level of bilateral relationship that is designated by the Vietnamese side. Both countries have aimed to raise their two-way trade to 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and expected to reach 150 billion by the end of this decade. Besides major economic ties and cooperations, South Korea and Vietnam also plan to further cooperate in politics, cultural exchange, resources exploitation, national security as well as in the defense sectors. Both countries share core benefits, concerns, and support to each other in issues related to the security of the region, noticeably Vietnamese support towards South Korea's effort in denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula (mentioning North Korea) and South Korea's support on Vietnam's attitude towards the stability and freedom of navigation of the South China Sea. [21] Vietnam is also an important partner of South Korea to exercise its Indo-Pacific strategy and the insight to strengthen South Korea's relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is said that Vietnam can be a "bridge" or "ambassador" representing South Korea's influence to the Southeast Asia region. [22]
In the state visit of the President of Vietnam to South Korea in December 2022, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has honored Vietnamese President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc as "my very first national guest" (referring the fact that his Vietnamese counterpart was the first head of state to visit South Korea during his terms), and also saying that the people of Vietnam and South Korea are "close brothers". [23]
Inter-Korean relations may be divided into five periods. The first stage was between 1972 and 1973; the second stage was Pyongyang North Korea's delivery of relief goods to South Korea after a typhoon caused devastating floods in 1984 and the third stage was the exchange of home visits and performing artists in 1985. The fourth stage, activated by Nordpolitik under Roh, was represented by expanding public and private contacts between the two Koreas. The fifth stage was improved following the 1997 election of Kim Dae-jung. His "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with North Korea set the stage for the historic June 2000 Inter-Korean summit.
The possibility of Korean reunification has remained a prominent topic. However, no peace treaty has yet been signed with the North. In June 2000, a historic first North Korea-South Korea summit took place, part of the South Korea's continuing Sunshine Policy of engagement. Since then, regular contacts have led to a cautious thaw. President Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for the policy.
With that policy, continued by the following administration of president Roh Moo-hyun, economic ties between the two countries have increased, humanitarian aid has been sent to North Korea and some divided families have been briefly reunited. Military ties remain fraught with tension, however, and in 2002 a brief naval skirmish left four South Korean sailors dead, leaving the future of the Sunshine policy uncertain. The North Korea cut off talks but the South remained committed to the policy of reconciliation and relations began to thaw again. The resurgence of the nuclear issue two years later would again cast relations in doubt, but South Korea has sought to play the role of intermediary rather than antagonist, and economic ties at the time seemed to be growing again.
Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in 1993, 1998, 2006 and 2009. As of early 2009 [update] , relationships between North Korea and South Korea were very tense; North Korea had been reported to have deployed missiles, [24] Ended its former agreements with South Korea [25] and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned. [26] As of 2009 North Korea and South Korea are still opposed and share a heavily fortified border. [27]
On May 27, 2009, North Korea media declared that the armistice is no longer valid due to the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the Proliferation Security Initiative. To further complicate and intensify strains between the two nations, the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010, killing 46 seamen, is as of May 20, 2010 claimed by a team of researchers around the world [28] to have been caused by a North Korean torpedo, which the North denies. South Korea agreed with the findings from the research group and president Lee Myung-bak declared in May 2010 that Seoul would cut all trade with North Korea as part of measures primarily aimed at striking back at North Korea diplomatically and financially. [29] As a result of this, North Korea severed all ties and completely abrogated the previous pact of non aggression. [30]
In November 2010, the Unification Ministry officially declared the Sunshine Policy a failure, thus bringing the policy to an end. [31] [32] On November 23, 2010, North Korean artillery shelled Yeonpyeong with dozens of rounds at Yeonpyeong-ri and the surrounding area. [33]
According to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll, 3% of South Koreans view North Korea's influence positively, with 91% expressing a negative view. [34] A 2015 government-sponsored poll revealed that 41% of South Koreans consider North Korea to be an enemy, with negative views being more prevalent among younger respondents. [35] Still, in a 2017 poll, 58% of South Koreans said they don't expect another war to break out with North Korea. [36]
In the 1980s South Korean president Roh Tae Woo's Nordpolitik and Mikhail Gorbachev's "New Thinking" were both attempts to reverse their nations' recent histories. Gorbachev had signaled Soviet interest in improving relations with all countries in the Asia-Pacific region including South Korea as explained in his July 1986 Vladivostok and August 1988 Krasnoyarsk speeches.
In initiating Nordpolitik Roh's confidential foreign policy adviser was rumored to have visited Moscow Russia to consult with Soviet policymakers. Kim Young Sam visited Moscow, Russian Federation from June 2 to June 10, 1989, as the Kremlin announced that it would allow some 300,000 Soviet-South Koreans who had been on the Soviet island of Sakhalin since the end of World War II to return permanently to South Korea. Moscow even arranged Kim's meeting with the North Korean ambassador to the Soviet Union In June 1990, Roh held his first summit with president Gorbachev in San Francisco, United States.
South Korea and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations on September 30, 1990. These relations continued by the Russian Federation on December 27, 1991. Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Seoul in February 2001 while South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun visited Moscow, Russia in September 2004. [37] [38]
Russian Federal Space Agency and the Korean Astronaut Program cooperated together to send South Korea's first astronaut into space. Yi So-Yeon became the first South Korean national as well as the third woman to be the first national in space on 8 April 2008 when Soyuz TMA-12 departed from Baikonur Cosmodrome. [39]
Since the 1990s there has been greater trade and cooperation between the Russian Federation and South Korea. The total trade volume between South Korea and Russia in 2003 was 4.2 billion U.S. dollars. [40]
The establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and South Korea began on 18 January 1949.
Visits from South Korea to the United Kingdom:
From the United Kingdom to South Korea:
The European Union (EU) and South Korea are important trading partners, having negotiated a free trade agreement for many years since South Korea was designated as a priority FTA partner in 2006. The free trade agreement has been approved in September 2010, following Italy's conditional withdrawal of its veto of the free trade agreement. [44] The compromise made by Italy was that free trade agreement would take provisional effect on July 1, 2011. South Korea is the EU's eighth largest trade partner and the EU has become South Korea's second largest export destination. EU trade with South Korea exceeded €65 billion in 2008 and has enjoyed an annual average growth rate of 7.5% between 2004 and 2008. [45]
The EU has been the single largest foreign investor in South Korea since 1962 and accounted for almost 45% of all FDI inflows into South Korea in 2006. Nevertheless, EU companies have significant problems accessing and operating in South Korea market due to stringent standards and testing requirements for products and services often creating barriers to trade. Both in its regular bilateral contacts with South Korea and through its FTA with South Korea, the EU is seeking to improve this situation. [45]
The United States engaged in the decolonization of Korea (mainly in the South, with the Soviet Union engaged in North Korea) from Japan after World War II. After three years of military administration by the United States, the South Korean government was established. Upon the onset of the Korean War, U.S. forces were sent to defend South Korea against invasion by North Korea and later China. Following the Armistice, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to a "Mutual Defense Treaty", under which an attack on either party in the Pacific area would summon a response from both. [46]
In 1968, South Korea obliged the mutual defense treaty, by sending a large combat troop contingent to support the United States in the Vietnam War. The U.S. Eighth Army, Seventh Air Force, and U.S. Naval Forces Korea are stationed in South Korea. The two nations have strong economic, diplomatic, and military ties, although they have at times disagreed with regard to policies towards North Korea, and with regard to some of South Korea's industrial activities that involve usage of rocket or nuclear technology. There had also been strong anti-American sentiment during certain periods, which has largely moderated in the modern day. [47]
Since the late 1980s, the country has instead sought to establish an American partnership, which has made the Seoul–Washington relationship subject to severe strains. Trade had become a serious source of friction between the two countries. In 1989, the United States was South Korea's largest and most important trading partner and South Korea was the seventh-largest market for United States goods and the second largest market for its agricultural products.
From Roh Tae-woo's administration to Roh Moo Hyun's administration, South Korea sought to establish a U.S. partnership, which has made the Seoul–Washington relationship subject to some strains. In 2007, a free trade agreement known as the Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) was reportedly signed between South Korea and the United States, but its formal implementation has been repeatedly delayed, pending further approval by the legislative bodies of the two countries.
The relations between the United States and South Korea have greatly strengthened under the Lee Myung-bak administration. At the 2009 G-20 London summit, U.S. President Barack Obama called South Korea "one of America's closest allies and greatest friends." [48]
However, some anti-American sentiment in South Korea still exists; the United States' alleged role in the May 1980 Gwangju uprising was a pressing South Korean political issue of the 1980s. Even after a decade, some Gwangju citizens and other South Koreans still blamed the United States for its perceived involvement in the bloody uprising. In 2008, the protests against U.S. beef was a center of a major controversy that year.
In a June 2010 open letter from President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak published in the Los Angeles Times, he expressed gratitude for the 37,000 Americans who were killed in the Korean War defending South Korea, saying that they fought for the freedom of South Koreans they did not even know. He stated that thanks to their sacrifices, the peace and democracy of the South Korean state was protected. [49]
The U.S. states that "The Alliance is adapting to changes in the 21st Century security environment. We will maintain a robust defense posture, backed by allied capabilities which support both nations' security interests We will continue to deepen our strong bilateral economic, trade and investment relations In the Asia-Pacific region we will work jointly with regional institutions and partners to foster prosperity, keep the peace, and improve the daily lives of the people of the region The United States and South Korea will work to achieve our common Alliance goals through strategic cooperation at every level." [50]
On 9 October 2024, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun emphasized the need for stronger joint military drills with the U.S. to counter North Korean threats and address concerns about growing North Korea-Russia military ties. [51]
List of countries which South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with (all UN member states except North Korea and Syria):
# | Country | Date [52] |
---|---|---|
1 | United Kingdom | 18 January 1949 [53] |
2 | France | 15 February 1949 |
3 | Philippines | 3 March 1949 |
4 | United States | 25 March 1949 [54] |
5 | Spain | 17 March 1950 |
6 | Italy | 24 November 1956 |
7 | Turkey | 8 March 1957 |
8 | Germany | 25 May 1957 [55] |
9 | Thailand | 1 October 1958 [56] |
10 | Norway | 2 March 1959 |
11 | Denmark | 11 March 1959 |
12 | Sweden | 11 March 1959 |
13 | Brazil | 31 October 1959 |
14 | Malaysia | 23 February 1960 |
15 | Netherlands | 4 April 1961 |
16 | Greece | 5 April 1961 |
17 | Portugal | 15 April 1961 |
18 | Belgium | 2 May 1961 [57] |
19 | Ivory Coast | 23 July 1961 |
20 | Niger | 27 July 1961 |
21 | Benin | 1 August 1961 |
22 | Chad | 6 August 1961 |
23 | Cameroon | 10 August 1961 |
24 | Australia | October 1961 |
25 | Mexico | 26 January 1962 |
26 | Nicaragua | 26 January 1962 |
27 | Argentina | 15 February 1962 |
28 | Colombia | 10 March 1962 |
29 | Luxembourg | 16 March 1962 |
30 | New Zealand | 26 March 1962 [58] |
31 | Honduras | 1 April 1962 |
32 | Israel | 10 April 1962 |
33 | Chile | 18 April 1962 |
34 | Burkina Faso | 20 April 1962 |
35 | Dominican Republic | 6 June 1962 |
36 | Paraguay | 12 June 1962 |
37 | Madagascar | 25 June 1962 |
38 | Sierra Leone | 25 June 1962 |
39 | Morocco | 6 July 1962 |
40 | Jordan | 26 July 1962 |
41 | Costa Rica | 15 August 1962 |
42 | El Salvador | 30 August 1962 |
43 | Haiti | 22 September 1962 |
44 | Panama | 30 September 1962 |
45 | Gabon | 1 October 1962 |
46 | Ecuador | 5 October 1962 |
47 | Iceland | 10 October 1962 |
48 | Jamaica | 13 October 1962 |
49 | Saudi Arabia | 16 October 1962 |
50 | Senegal | 19 October 1962 |
51 | Iran | 23 October 1962 |
52 | Guatemala | 24 October 1962 |
53 | Canada | 14 January 1963 |
54 | Switzerland | 11 February 1963 |
55 | Rwanda | 21 March 1963 |
56 | Uganda | 26 March 1963 |
57 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1 April 1963 |
58 | Peru | 1 April 1963 |
59 | Austria | 22 May 1963 [59] |
60 | Togo | 26 July 1963 |
61 | Mauritania | 30 July 1963 |
62 | Central African Republic | 5 September 1963 |
63 | Ethiopia | 23 December 1963 |
64 | Kenya | 7 February 1964 |
65 | Liberia | 18 March 1964 |
66 | Uruguay | 7 October 1964 |
67 | Malawi | 9 March 1965 |
68 | Malta | 2 April 1965 |
69 | Gambia | 21 April 1965 |
70 | Bolivia | 25 April 1965 |
71 | Venezuela | 29 April 1965 |
72 | Japan | 18 December 1965 |
73 | Lesotho | 7 December 1966 |
74 | Maldives | 30 November 1967 |
75 | Botswana | 18 April 1968 |
76 | Guyana | 13 June 1968 |
77 | Eswatini | 6 November 1968 |
78 | Tunisia | March 1969 |
79 | Cambodia | 18 May 1970 |
80 | Tonga | 11 September 1970 |
81 | Fiji | 30 January 1971 |
82 | Mauritius | 3 July 1971 |
83 | Samoa | 15 September 1972 |
84 | Finland | 24 August 1973 |
85 | Indonesia | 18 September 1973 |
86 | India | 10 December 1973 [60] |
— | Holy See | 11 December 1973 [61] |
87 | Bangladesh | 18 December 1973 |
88 | Afghanistan | 31 December 1973 [62] |
89 | Oman | 28 March 1974 |
90 | Qatar | 18 April 1974 |
91 | Nepal | 15 May 1974 |
92 | Laos | 22 June 1974 |
93 | Grenada | 1 August 1974 |
94 | Myanmar | 16 May 1975 |
95 | Singapore | 8 August 1975 |
96 | Suriname | 28 November 1975 |
97 | Bahrain | 17 April 1976 |
98 | Papua New Guinea | 19 May 1976 |
99 | Seychelles | 28 June 1976 |
100 | Sudan | 13 April 1977 |
101 | Ghana | 14 November 1977 |
102 | Sri Lanka | 14 November 1977 |
103 | Barbados | 15 November 1977 |
104 | Djibouti | 7 December 1977 |
105 | Solomon Islands | 15 September 1978 |
106 | Dominica | 3 November 1978 |
107 | Tuvalu | 15 November 1978 |
108 | Comoros | 19 February 1979 |
109 | Saint Lucia | 23 February 1979 |
110 | Kuwait | 11 June 1979 |
111 | Nauru | 20 August 1979 |
112 | Equatorial Guinea | 14 September 1979 |
113 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 28 October 1979 |
114 | Nigeria | 22 February 1980 |
115 | Kiribati | 2 May 1980 |
116 | United Arab Emirates | 18 June 1980 |
117 | Vanuatu | 5 November 1980 |
118 | Libya | 29 December 1980 |
119 | Lebanon | 12 February 1981 |
120 | Antigua and Barbuda | 1 November 1981 |
121 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 19 September 1983 |
122 | Ireland | 4 October 1983 [63] |
123 | Pakistan | 7 November 1983 [64] |
124 | Guinea-Bissau | 22 December 1983 |
125 | Brunei | 1 January 1984 |
126 | Bahamas | 8 July 1985 |
127 | Trinidad and Tobago | 23 July 1985 |
128 | Yemen | 22 August 1985 |
129 | Belize | 14 April 1987 |
130 | Bhutan | 24 September 1987 [65] |
131 | Somalia | 25 September 1987 |
132 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 20 August 1988 |
133 | Cape Verde | 3 October 1988 |
134 | Hungary | 1 February 1989 |
135 | Iraq | 9 July 1989 |
136 | Poland | 1 November 1989 |
137 | Serbia | 27 December 1989 |
138 | Algeria | 15 January 1990 |
139 | Namibia | 21 March 1990 |
140 | Czech Republic | 22 March 1990 |
141 | Bulgaria | 23 March 1990 |
142 | Mongolia | 26 March 1990 |
143 | Romania | 30 March 1990 |
144 | Republic of the Congo | 16 June 1990 |
145 | Zambia | 4 September 1990 |
146 | Mali | 27 September 1990 |
147 | Russia | 30 September 1990 |
148 | Federated States of Micronesia | 5 April 1991 |
149 | Marshall Islands | 5 April 1991 |
150 | Albania | 22 August 1991 |
151 | Burundi | 3 October 1991 |
152 | Lithuania | 14 October 1991 |
153 | Estonia | 17 October 1991 |
154 | Latvia | 22 October 1991 |
155 | Angola | 6 January 1992 |
156 | Kazakhstan | 28 January 1992 |
157 | Uzbekistan | 29 January 1992 |
158 | Kyrgyzstan | 31 January 1992 |
159 | Moldova | 31 January 1992 |
160 | Turkmenistan | 7 February 1992 |
161 | Belarus | 10 February 1992 |
162 | Ukraine | 10 February 1992 |
163 | Armenia | 21 February 1992 |
164 | Azerbaijan | 23 March 1992 |
165 | Tajikistan | 27 April 1992 |
166 | Tanzania | 30 April 1992 |
167 | China | 24 August 1992 |
168 | Croatia | 18 November 1992 |
169 | Slovenia | 18 November 1992 |
170 | South Africa | 1 December 1992 |
171 | Georgia | 14 December 1992 |
172 | Vietnam | 22 December 1992 |
173 | Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
174 | Liechtenstein | 2 March 1993 |
175 | Eritrea | 24 May 1993 |
176 | Mozambique | 11 August 1993 |
177 | Zimbabwe | 18 November 1994 |
178 | Andorra | 23 February 1995 |
179 | Palau | 22 March 1995 |
180 | Egypt | 13 April 1995 |
181 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15 December 1995 |
182 | Cyprus | 28 December 1995 |
183 | San Marino | 25 September 2000 |
184 | East Timor | 20 May 2002 |
185 | Guinea | 28 August 2006 |
186 | Montenegro | 4 September 2006 |
187 | Monaco | 20 March 2007 |
188 | South Sudan | 9 July 2011 [66] |
— | Cook Islands | 22 February 2013 |
189 | North Macedonia | 18 July 2019 |
— | Niue | 29 May 2023 |
190 | Cuba | 14 February 2024 |
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 1962-02-15 [67] | See Argentina–South Korea relations
|
Brazil | 1959-10-31 [70] | See Brazil–South Korea relations |
Canada | 1963-01-14 [72] | See Canada–South Korea relations
|
Chile | 1962-04-18 [76] | See Chile–South Korea relations
|
Colombia | 1962-03-10 [77] | See Colombia–South Korea relations
|
Cuba | 2024-02-14 | See Cuba–South Korea relations
|
Mexico | 1962-01-26 [79] | See Mexico–South Korea relations
|
Panama | 1962-09-30 [80] | See Panama–South Korea relations |
Paraguay | 1962-06-12 [81] | See Paraguay–South Korea relations
|
Peru | 1963-04-01 [85] | See Peru–South Korea relations
|
United States | 1882-05-22 [86] 1949-01-01 [87] | See South Korea–United States relations
|
Uruguay | 1964-10-07 [90] | See South Korea–Uruguay relations
|
Venezuela | 1965-04-29 [92] | See South Korea–Venezuela relations |
Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 1973-12-12 [93] | See Afghanistan – South Korea relations
|
Bangladesh | 1973-12-18 [96] | See Bangladesh–South Korea relations
|
Bhutan | 1987-09-24 [100] | See Bhutan–South Korea relations |
Brunei | 1984-01-01 [101] | See Brunei–South Korea relations
|
Cambodia | 1970-05-18 [103] | See Cambodia–South Korea relations
|
China | 1992-08-24 [104] | See China–South Korea relations
|
Republic of China (Taiwan) | 1948-08-13 [107] 1992-08-23 [108] | See South Korea–Taiwan relations
|
East Timor | 2002-05-20 [112] |
|
Hong Kong | 1945-05-01 [113] |
|
India | 1973-12-01 [117] | See India – South Korea relations
|
Indonesia | 1973-09-17 [119] | See Indonesia–South Korea relations
|
Japan | 1965-12-18 [124] | See Japan–South Korea relations
|
North Korea | No Relations | See North Korea–South Korea relations
|
Laos | 1974-06-22 [127] | See Laos–South Korea relations
|
Macau |
| |
Malaysia | 1960-02-23 [129] | See Malaysia–South Korea relations
|
Maldives | 1967-11-30 [132] | See Maldives–South Korea relations |
Mongolia | 1990-03-26 [133] | See Mongolia–South Korea relations
|
Myanmar | 1975-05-16 [134] | See Myanmar–South Korea relations
|
Nepal | 1974-05-15 [135] | See Nepal–South Korea relations
|
Pakistan | 1983-11-01 [137] | See Pakistan-South Korea relations
|
Philippines | 1949-03-03 [138] | See Philippines–South Korea relations
|
Singapore | 1975-08-08 [140] | See Singapore–South Korea relations
|
Sri Lanka | 1977-11-14 [142] | See Sri Lanka–South Korea relations
|
Thailand | 1958-10-09 [144] | See South Korea – Thailand relations
|
Vietnam | 1992-12-22 [147] | See Vietnam–South Korea relations
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Australia | 1961-10-31 [149] | See Australia–South Korea relations
|
Fiji | 1970-10-01 [156] | See Fiji–South Korea relations
|
New Zealand | 1962-03-01 [160] | See New Zealand–South Korea relations
|
Niue | 29 May 2023 [2] | See Niue–South Korea relations
|
Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Albania | 1991-08-22 [165] | See Albania–South Korea relations
|
Andorra | 1995-02-23 [167] | See Andorra–South Korea relations
|
Armenia | 1992-02-21 [168] | See Armenia–South Korea relations |
Austria | 1963-05-22 [170] | See Austria–South Korea relations
|
Azerbaijan | 1992-03-23 [174] | See Azerbaijan–South Korea relations
|
Belarus | 1992-02-10 [176] | See Belarus–South Korea relations
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1995-12-15 [178] | See Bosnia and Herzegovina–South Korea relations
|
Bulgaria | 1990-03-23 [180] | See Bulgaria – South Korea relations
|
Croatia | 1992-11-18 [183] | See Croatia–South Korea relations
|
Cyprus | 1995-12-28 [184] | See Cyprus–South Korea relations
|
Czech Republic | 1990-03-22 [185] | See Czech Republic–South Korea relations
|
Denmark | 1902-07-15 [188] 1959-03-11 [189] | See Denmark – South Korea relations
|
Estonia | 1991-10-17 [193] | See Estonia–South Korea relations
|
Finland | 1973-08-24 [195] | See Finland–South Korea relations
|
France | 1886-06-04 [196] 1949-02-15 [197] | See France – South Korea relations
|
Georgia | 1992-12-14 [200] | See Georgia–South Korea relations
|
Germany | 1883-11-26 [201] 1955-12-01 [202] | See Germany – South Korea relations
|
Greece | 1961-04-05 [205] | See Greece–South Korea relations
|
Holy See | 1966-09-01 [207] | See Holy See–South Korea relations
|
Hungary | 1989-02-01 [214] | See Hungary–South Korea relations
|
Iceland | 1962-10-10 [215] | See Iceland–South Korea relations
|
Ireland | 1983-10-01 [216] | See Ireland–South Korea relations
|
Italy | 1884-06-26 [219] 1956-11-24 [220] | See Italy – South Korea relations
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Kazakhstan | 1992-01-28 [221] | See Kazakhstan–South Korea relations
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Latvia | 1991-10-22 [222] | See Latvia–South Korea relations
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Liechtenstein | 1993-03-01 [224] | See Liechtenstein–South Korea relations
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Lithuania | 1991-10-14 [225] | See Lithuania–South Korea relations
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Luxembourg | 1962-03-16 [226] | See Luxembourg–South Korea relations
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North Macedonia | 2019-07-18 [227] | See North Macedonia–South Korea relations
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Malta | 1965-04-02 [229] | See Malta–South Korea relations
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Moldova | 1992-01-31 [230] | See Moldova–South Korea relations
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Monaco | 2007-03-20 [231] | See Monaco–South Korea relations
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Montenegro | 2006-06-04 [233] | See Montenegro–South Korea relations
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Netherlands | 1961-04-01 [234] | See Netherlands–South Korea relations
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Norway | 1959-03-02 [237] | See Norway–South Korea relations
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Poland | 1989-11-01 [239] | See Poland–South Korea relations
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Romania | 1990-03-30 [242] | See Romania – South Korea relations
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Russia | 1884-07-07 [246] 1990-09-30 [247] | See Russia–South Korea relations
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Serbia | 1989-12-27 [248] | See Serbia–South Korea relations
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Slovakia | 1993-01-01 [250] | See Slovakia–South Korea relations
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Slovenia | 1992-04-15 [252] | See Slovenia–South Korea relations
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Spain | 1950-03-17 [254] | See Spain–South Korea relations
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Sweden | 1959-03-07 [257] | See Sweden–South Korea relations
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Switzerland | 1963-02-11 [258] | See Switzerland–South Korea relations
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Tajikistan | 1992-04-27 [260] | See Tajikistan–South Korea relations
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Turkey | 1957-03-08 [261] | See Turkey–South Korea relations
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Turkmenistan | 1992-02-07 [263] | See Turkmenistan–South Korea relations
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Ukraine | 1992-02-10 [264] | See Ukraine–South Korea relations
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Uzbekistan | 1992-01-29 [267] | See Uzbekistan–South Korea relations
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United Kingdom | 1883-11-26 [268] 1949-01-18 [41] | See South Korea–United Kingdom relations
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Vatican City | 1963-12-11 [271] | See Vatican City–South Korea relations
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Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
---|---|---|
Egypt | 1995-04-13 [273] | See Egypt–South Korea relations
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Ghana | 1977-11-14 [274] | See Ghana–South Korea relations
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Iran | 1962-10-23 [275] | See Iran–South Korea relations
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Israel | 1962-04-10 [276] | See Israel–South Korea relations
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Ivory Coast | 1961-07-23 [279] | See Ivory Coast–South Korea relations
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Jordan | 1962-07-26 [280] | See Jordan–South Korea relations
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Kenya | 1964-02-07 [281] | See Kenya–South Korea relations
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Saudi Arabia | 1962-10-16 | See Saudi Arabia–South Korea relations
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Somalia | 1987-09-25 [283] | See Somalia–South Korea relations
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South Africa | 1992-12-01 [284] | See South Africa–South Korea relations
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United Arab Emirates | 1980-06-18 [286] | See South Korea–United Arab Emirates relations |
Fiji has experienced many coups recently, in 1987, 2000, and 2006. Fiji has been suspended various times from the Commonwealth of Nations, a grouping of mostly former British colonies. It was readmitted to the Commonwealth in December 2001, following the parliamentary election held to restore democracy in September that year, and has been suspended again because of the 2006 coup, but has been readmitted a second time after the 2014 election. Other Pacific Island governments have generally been sympathetic to Fiji's internal political problems and have declined to take public positions.
Though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is the government agency which is responsible for conducting the foreign relations of Nepal, historically, it is the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO) which has exercised the authority to formulate the country's foreign policies. As a landlocked country wedged between two larger and far stronger powers, Nepal has tried to maintain good relations with both of its neighbors, People's Republic of China and Republic of India. However, the relationship between Nepal and India was significantly hampered by the 2015 Nepal blockade when the Government of Nepal accused India of mimicking "Russia-Ukraine" tactics by using ethnically Indian residents of Nepal to cause unrest along Nepal's southern border. India denied the allegation and said the unrest were an internal affair. For the most part though, Nepal has traditionally maintained a non-aligned policy and enjoys friendly relations with its neighboring countries and almost all the major countries of the world.
The foreign relations of Romania are conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Romania is a member of the European Union and NATO.
Foreign relations of Tajikistan are based on a desire to secure foreign investment and promote regional security while ensuring Tajikistan's independence. Sirodjidin Aslov is the current Foreign’s Minister of Tajikistan.
Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However, it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in United Nations-organized groups to help solve the Tajik and Afghan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability. Uzbekistan is an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions which have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a member of the United Nations, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Partnership for Peace, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization, which comprises 7 Central Asian countries: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan.
South Korean–Taiwan relations
South Korea–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between South Korea and Ukraine. Diplomatic Relations were established on February 10, 1992. South Korea has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Seoul.
There are strong diplomatic relations between Canada and South Korea. Canadian soldiers participated in the defense of South Korea during the Korean War. Full diplomatic relations between Canada and South Korea were established on January 14, 1963. Canada has an embassy in Seoul, and a consulate in Busan. South Korea has an embassy in Ottawa and three Consulates-General, in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Both nations are full members of APEC, OECD and the G20.
Iceland–South Korea relations are primarily based on cooperation over maritime issues, such as whaling and bottom trawling, and on bilateral trade in technology and fish products. Diplomatic relations between Iceland and the Republic of Korea were established on October 10, 1962 according to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs gives the date as 19 April 1982. Iceland's Embassy in Beijing is accredited to South Korea, and Iceland also has two honorary consulates in Seoul. South Korea's embassy in Oslo, Norway is accredited to Iceland, and South Korea has an honorary consulate in Reykjavík.
The relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland spans from the 19th century to the present day. Although the Republic of Korea gives 18 January 1949 as the date of the establishment of formal relations with the United Kingdom, diplomatic ties go back to the United Kingdom–Korea Treaty of 1883. British military participation in the Korean War during the 1950s was significant, but relations between the two countries at the time were described as "tenuous", with relatively little known about each other. Commercial and trade relationships grew rapidly during the 1970s. During the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s, Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to South Korea, which was well received at a time of crisis in the country. Today, there are strong economic and diplomatic links between the two countries.
Pakistan–South Korea relations refers to bilateral diplomatic relationship between Pakistan and South Korea. Since the 1980s, the relations between the two Asian states have improved and periodically enhanced. Pakistan has an embassy in Seoul, South Korea, and South Korea has an embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan is one of the few countries that have good relations with both North Korea and South Korea.
The European Union (EU) and South Korea are important trade partners: As of April 2023, Korea is the EU's third-largest importer. Excluding European countries, Korea has secured the third place on the list, following China and the United States. And the EU is Korea's third largest export destination. The two have signed a free trade agreement which came into effect at end of 2011. Furthermore, South Korea is the only country in the world with the three agreements covering economics, politics and security in effect as of 2020.
The Korean Mission in Taipei is the representative office of South Korea in Taiwan, functioning as a de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations. Its counterpart is the Taipei Mission in Korea in Seoul.
Chun Beeho is a South Korean diplomat, professor and global business consultant. He served as ROK's plenipotentiary ambassador to Mexico from May, 2015 to December, 2017 as well as plenipotentiary ambassador to Bulgaria from 2010 to 2013. He has been a distinguished/visiting professor of Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul in the Republic of Korea since March 2018, giving a lecture on global supply chain crisis and global business strategy.
South Korea-Uzbekistan relations are the international relations between South Korea and Uzbekistan.
Grzegorz Kowal is a Polish diplomat, Poland ambassador to New Zealand (2020–2024).
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