Brazil Could Become South Korea’s Major Ally, Says Former Ambassador

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A significant producer of grain, energy, and meat for the international market, Brazil could become South Korea’s strategic ally, thus reducing the Korean nation’s dependence on Japan, Russia, the United States, and China.

This is the argument being advocated by diplomat Jeong Gwan Lee, who was South Korea’s ambassador to Brazil from 2015 to 2018.

Currently, Gwan Lee lives in Seoul (capital of South Korea), where he teaches international relations at universities, focusing on emerging nations such as Brazil.

As a former ambassador and scholar, he suggests relevant concepts on how South Korea’s foreign relations policy could lead the country to a better global geopolitical position and, simultaneously, reduce its vulnerabilities.

An example of a decision that increased South Korean industry’s vulnerability was Japan’s recent initiative to remove South Korea from the “white list” of countries exempt from procedures for the procurement of hundreds of Japanese technological components that are deemed vital for the manufacture of Korean high-tech products.

This has angered the South Korean government, which has staged dozens of attempts at an agreement with Japan, with no results to date.

The researcher advises the South Korean government and the country’s economic leaders to be cautious and to increase the range of countries that can provide security for the country. He said that, in this respect, Brazil can be an ally that could increase South Korea’s food security because of its significance in agribusiness.

Brazil in the Eyes of Korea

The former ambassador wrote the book entitled ‘Brazil in the Eyes of Korea’. Jeong Gwan Lee’s three-part book examines the conditions that may or may not favor Brazil’s goal of becoming a nation of first magnitude in the world.

In the first part, the researcher provides an overview of experiences in Brazil, including the country’s political and economic downturns during the period in which he lived in Brasília.

In the second part, the professor explores the challenges for Brazil’s development. Here the researcher assesses Brazil’s future based on the need for change so that the country could join the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution under advantageous conditions.

And in the third part, Gwan Lee recalls the discussions established between the South Korean and Brazilian governments, when the two parties were negotiating a plan for the establishment of solid and lasting relations.

These discussions prompted talks to approve the Mercosur-South Korea Agreement. The Brazilian and Korean governments believe that the pact could be signed in 2020, which will greatly boost trade between the two countries.

The Korean diplomat said that the Brazilian government is on the right track. It has already begun the process of cutting spending, ending the budget deficit, privatizing and approving concessions.

Jeong Gwan Lee said that, with these measures, the Brazilian economy will advance and the country could ultimately become a powerful ally of South Korea and a relevant nation in the world.

Source: Agência Brasil