South Korea’s Pragmatic Turn: President Lee Jae-Myung and the Recalibration of Foreign Policy in 2025
By Arnaud Leveau (PhD), President of Asia Centre
The election of President Lee Jae-myung in May 2025 marks a pragmatic recalibration of South Korea’s foreign policy. His “National Interest First Diplomacy” seeks autonomy through diversification, technological sovereignty, and balanced engagement with major powers. In 2025, Seoul resumed dialogue with China, reaffirmed alliance reciprocity with the United States, and maintained practical cooperation with Japan. The APEC Summit symbolized this effort to combine openness with restraint, while the proposed “ASEAN + 3.5” framework and the partnership with Singapore reflect Seoul’s ambition to link Northeast and Southeast Asia through flexible multilateralism. Lee’s cautious approach to Russia illustrates an attempt to balance strategic pragmatism with normative coherence. Despite persistent economic and security dependencies, South Korea is redefining its role as a responsible middle power. For France and Europe, this evolution opens opportunities for collaboration in technology, green transition, and maritime security grounded in shared autonomy and moderation.
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