On Thursday, South Korea’s ambassador to Canada made a highly anticipated arrival to Ottawa, setting the stage for the countries’ first meeting since President Moon Jae-in of South Korea took office last year. As the Times noted at the time, the two countries had flirted with a detente during the presidency of Barack Obama, which sputtered after President Trump was elected. But there was a revival of the partnership late last year when President Moon visited Washington, and ties have only continued to flourish since.
Diplomats traveling with the delegation said they expected the meeting on Thursday to include two key objectives: helping Afghanistan establish a strong and legitimate government and helping the Philippines with its recovery after the deadly earthquake earlier this year. The envoy has said he also intends to ask Canada to continue contributing troops to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, an issue he raised last month in Washington.
The envoy described Canada’s contribution to the UN mission as “significant” in an interview with CBC News, and expressed confidence that the two countries would make a “very ambitious pledge” on Thursday. “We have established a great relationship with Canada for the last several years,” Ambassador Lee Hae-chan said. “We had a good discussion and our Canadian counterparts expressed their readiness to help us cooperate to ensure peace and security in South Sudan.” The South Korean delegation also met on Thursday with the country’s international development minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau, to discuss assistance for the Philippines and Afghanistan. The Philippines has requested 15 extra Canadian peacekeepers, and South Korea has pledged to raise its contribution to the U.N. force.
During a separate interview with CBC, Ambassador Lee said he expected the two countries to focus on diplomacy rather than on trade. “If there are no economic issues,” he said, “I see a great future in the bilateral relations.” He acknowledged that Korea’s relations with North Korea had suffered during President Trump’s two terms, but he said the two countries would be able to use them as leverage in resolving the nuclear stalemate. “We need to deliver the message that diplomatic means are the way to go,” he said. “But if we have to use economic measures, we’ll do it.”
The delegation’s itinerary also includes an event with India’s minister of state for external affairs, V.K. Singh, on Friday. South Korea has been seeking to take a leading role in diplomatic efforts on South Korea’s doorstep, and India, too, is in the midst of a generational shift. Both countries are members of the five-party talks and present a common threat to China, which has been slowing the momentum of the talks amid concerns over its currency, long-time rival.
Mr. Singh, who hails from India’s ruling right-wing party, recently said, “We can sit at the table and discuss a future future and find a solution and concrete solution that will create a peaceful and stable situation in our region.”
Canada’s mission in South Sudan has been experiencing a string of disastrous incidents this year. As the ministry of foreign affairs in Seoul detailed on its website, it had provided 53 peacekeepers to the UN mission as recently as May, but in recent months, more than half of its troops had been killed or injured. The deployment was supposed to be for up to three years, but Canadian officials have said the government may move to end its involvement within one year. They are not the only government to turn its back on South Sudan — the United States has long called for an exit, but has not made a credible offer to do so. The deployment of the UN troops has been condemned as overly generous by conservative South Sudanese politicians, and some critics have suggested that the risk is too great. (The departure of the Canadian troops could be far easier.) The South Sudan mission is one of the poorest programs the UN runs, but it holds long-term benefits for South Sudanese refugees in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba.
Read the full story at Vox.
Related
S. Korean minister says Canada returning aid to North Korea a ‘dangerous development’
Canada to boost visa powers to allow more restrictions on North Korean migrants
South Korea praises Canada’s response to deadly typhoon in Philippines