German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

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Engaging the Indo-Pacific: German and Korean Perspectives on Regional Cooperation

  • A policy-oriented research project bringing together the GIGA and the East Asia Institute in Seoul. The project aims at analysing German/EU and Korean strategies for Indo-Pacific engagement and identifying areas for in-depth consultation, coordination and cooperation.
    Korea Foundation, 2022

    Team

    Prof. Dr. Sook-Jong Lee

    East Asia Institute

    Prof. Dr. Yul Sohn

    East Asia Institute

    Prof. Dr. Chaesung Chun

    East Asia Institute

    Cooperation Partners

    Head

    Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

    Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Senior Research Fellow / Research Team Spokesperson

    Dr. Christian Wirth

    Former GIGA Team member

    Logo Korea Foundation

    Research Questions

    * How have Germany, the EU and the Republic of Korea (ROK) reacted to the rise of the Indo-Pacific as a strategic space?
    * How have Germany, the European Union and the ROK resorted to foreign policy signalling in this regard and who have been the respective target audiences?
    * How and in which issue areas can and should Germany/EU and the ROK cooperate in the Indo-Pacific?

    Contribution to International Research

    International research on the Indo-Pacific has burgeoned in recent years, investigating the rise of the Indo-Pacific concept and analysing how in particular the Quad countries (Australia, India, Japan and the US) have developed relevant strategies and are cooperating with each other. Not much attention has however been focussed on how Indo-Pacific-based middle powers can cooperate with external parties to help shape the Indo-Pacific order. Against the background of their respective strategies for the region, this project seeks to identify areas for fruitful cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Germany/the European Union in the Indo-Pacific.

    Research Design and Methods

    Outcome-explaining process tracing to analyse the development of Indo-Pacific-related and other regionally focussed foreign policy strategies in Germany/the European Union and the ROK combined with elite and expert interviews in both countries to identify areas for effective bi- and/or multilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

    Preliminary Findings

    The proposed project asks how Germany/the European Union and the Republic of Korea, can effectively co-operate in the Indo-Pacific to advance their collective interests, also in terms of helping to establish a reformed liberal order. The project participants will first take stock of how Germany/the EU and the ROK have engaged with the strategic concept of the Indo-Pacific and how they have resorted to foreign-policy signalling in this regard. The second part of the project will focus on selected issue and policy areas, viz. (a) multilateralism, (b) maritime governance and security, and (c) economic cooperation and connectivity, which hold promise for effective collaboration between like-minded partners in Asia and Europe. Policy recommendations for plurilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in these policy areas and beyond will be contained in briefing papers published by the EAI and the GIGA in late 2022.

    Project Publications

    GIGA Focus Asia | 5/2022

    Towards Closer European Union and German Cooperation with South Korea in the Indo-Pacific

    The European Union and Germany are implementing strategies for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. How does South Korea fit into the picture? In this GIGA Focus Asia, we share findings from a collaborative, policy-oriented research project examining the potential scope for closer cooperation here.

    Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Dr. Christian Wirth

    Related Content

    Korea-Germany Security Cooperation in the Far East and Indo-Pacific

    Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hamburg | 28/11/2022

    Korea-Germany Security Cooperation in the Far East and Indo-Pacific

    Organiser: Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hamburg Dr. Christian Wirth (Consultant)

    Presentation at panel discussion

    Dr. Christian Wirth

    Former GIGA Team member

    Towards Closer Cooperation with South Korea in the Indo-Pacific

    GIGA Talk | 01/12/2022

    Towards Closer Cooperation with South Korea in the Indo-Pacific

    Towards Closer Cooperation with South Korea in the Indo-Pacific, Online event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker), Dr. Johannes Plagemann (Speaker), Dr. Christian Wirth (Speaker), Prof. Dr. Yul Sohn (Discussant), Prof. Dr. Sook-Jong Lee (Discussant), Prof. Dr. Chaesung Chun (Discussant), Dr. Martin Thümmel (Discussant), Prof. Dr. Heike Holbig (Moderator)

    The European Union and Germany are implementing strategies for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. How does South Korea fit into the picture? In this GIGA Talk, we will present and discuss findings from a collaborative, policy-oriented research project examining the potential scope for closer cooperation therewith.

    Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

    Dr. Johannes Plagemann

    Dr. Christian Wirth

    Prof. Dr. Yul Sohn

    Prof. Dr. Sook-Jong Lee

    Prof. Dr. Chaesung Chun

    Dr. Martin Thümmel

    Prof. Dr. Heike Holbig

    Der Indo-Pazifik als neuer strategischer Raum

    Workshop | 28/08/2022 - 04/09/2022

    Der Indo-Pazifik als neuer strategischer Raum

    Sommerakademie Begabtenförderungswerke, Heidelberg Organisers: Hans-Böckler-Stiftung Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

    Auf Einladung der Hans Böckler Stiftung referierte Patrick Köllner auf der Sommerakademie der Bildungsförderungswerke in Deutschland zu Aufstieg und politischen Implikationen des Indo-Pazifik-Konzepts.

    Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

    Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

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