Research On The South Korea's Policy On East Asian Regional Cooperation After The Cold War

After the Cold War, the interdependence among East Asian countries is strengthened deeply. With the global influence of the regionalism, East Asia is moving toward regionalism quickly. Almost all the countries in this region hope to play an important role in the process of integration.By attending the AESEN10+3, APEC and cooperating on investment and trade with other East Asian countries, the South Korea promotes the cooperation and regionalization of East Asia from late 1980s. South Korea hopes to renew and develop its economy which was been deeply depressed by the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. South Korea also tries to promote the cooperation on IT in the region and suggests establishing forums for the research of the East Asian Regionalism in order to work as a leading role. South Korea is going on negotiations over FTA with ASEAN, China. Japan and U.S. The reasons for the Korean government taking active attitude on the economic cooperation can be concluded as below: firstly, regionalism is the trend of the world's development; Secondly, the flourish of investment and finance among Korea and other East Asian countries is the regional factor; Thirdly, the South Korea hopes to get rid of the influence of the Asian Financial Crisis to resume and develop its economy.Different from the policies on the regional economic cooperation, the South Korea pays more attention on the cooperation of security in the region of Northeast Asia. The reunion of Korean Peninsula, which is one of the toughest tasks for South Korea, needs the support and cooperation of Northeast Asian Powers. Therefore, it is not difficult to see that the South Korea has made more efforts to set up the framework for security cooperation in Northeast Asia, which will play a great role in the security and reunion of Korea Peninsula in the future, though Korea takes an important part in the ARF, ESC and other non-governmental security cooperation forums to deal with the non-traditional security problem and confirm the multilateral security framework in East Asia and Asian -Pacific Region.The characteristics of the South Korea's regional cooperation policies in East Asia can be divided into two parts: one is related to the contents of the policies. The South Korean government pays more attention on security in Northeast Asia and economic cooperation in East Asia or Asian-Pacific region; secondly, the key emphasis in work is different during the period of different presidents of South Korea. Another is related to the means. The South Korea popularizes the Korean culture in the East Asia as a mean to pursue its cooperation policies; and propagandize the importance of the cooperation with other East Asian countries to the Korean people, and so on.The South Korean government's cooperation policy in East Asia does have an important influence on the development of economy and the security of East Asia, but it is also restricted by the policy of the U.S, the division of Korean Peninsula and the domestic public opinions, etc. The South Korean government has to make more efforts to deal with the problems such as relation between Korea and the U.S, and set up better impression of Korea in East Asia.Since the East Asia is different from the EU in historical and social environment, the development of East Asian Regionalism will be different. East Asia has been moving toward regionalism. This situation can be the opportunities for the South Korea to be closer to the leadership in this region.