Seoul Debases Its Reputation as a Middle Power
South Korea’s reliance on false claims about Israel, the authors argue, jeopardizes a hard-earned reputation for balanced diplomacy and democratic responsibility.
May 4 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ignited a diplomatic firestorm between South Korea and Israel.
He made false claims and hurled insulting and lurid accusations at Israel, combined with profoundly offensive Holocaust parallels as Israel commemorated Yom HaShoah that same week, remembering the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
All of this was based on a story from 2024, generated by a fake account as a legitimate current event. The Israeli Foreign Ministry swiftly reacted, expressing regret over Lee's failing to mention attacks against Israeli civilians, including attacks by Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups.
Instead of de-escalating, Lee's ruling South Korean Democratic Party issued further allegations of behavior contradicting international law and human rights, blaming the current U.S-Iran conflict on alleged Israeli influence.
Whether a diplomatic blunder or cynical political gambit, the relentless South Korean escalation based on fake news is unprecedented.
Since its creation, South Korea has balanced its relations with Israel and Muslim states in the Middle East. South Korea has had relations with Israel since 1948, elevated to full official diplomatic relations in 1962.
In the early 1960s, South Korea made the transition from export substitution to export-led growth. Bicycle repair shops turned into global corporations. South Korea achieved the Han River Miracle, astounding economic development spanning just a few decades. As South Korea became dominant in producing everything from cars to chips and ships, its economy grew increasingly dependent on fossil fuel.
After the first oil crisis in 1973, Korean construction companies aggressively explored markets in Middle Eastern countries flooded with oil money, earning about $70 billion from 1973 to 1985.
Although Israel closed its embassy in Seoul in 1978 due to South Korea's favoring of Israel's neighbors, the Israeli mission reopened in 1992. Driven by economic pragmatism and determination to become a responsible member of the international community, before Lee's recent diplomatic faux pas, South Korea had generally maintained a neutral and balanced approach to Israel and all other Middle Eastern countries.
South Korea has earned exceptional capital on the world stage. One of the world's poorest countries after the 1950-1953 Korean War, it has literally gone from rags to riches and has emerged as an economic and cultural powerhouse.
Korean movies, TV drama, K-culture and K-pop have taken the world by storm. South Korean bands such as BTS have followership in the range of tens of millions. K-pop is a global cultural phenomenon.
Once a recipient of international humanitarian, development and security assistance, South Korea has now become a provider of assistance throughout the Global South. South Korea has firmly established its authority as a leading middle power.
Why then would Lee break with the tradition of neutral, balanced diplomacy in the Middle East?
