Evolution of Korea’s Disaster-Management Diplomacy: Disaster Management as a Nexus between ODA Policy and Middle-Power Diplomacy

Abstract

Noting that the demand for overseas emergency relief increased, the Korean government ambitiously launched disaster-management diplomacy in the 2000s. This paper argues that the Korean government promoted disaster-management diplomacy in connection with other policies: the official development assistance (ODA) policy and middle-power diplomacy. First, disaster-management diplomacy emerged in the broader context of changes in ODA policy in Korea. After acceding to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD DAC) in 2010, those in favor of grant aid stressed that the Korean government should actively embrace international norms to upgrade the ODA policy. Disaster management provided them with a rationale for embracing the international norms of humanitarian assistance. Second, disaster-management diplomacy was combined with middle-power diplomacy. Despite substantial signs of progress, East Asia as a whole still faces daunting challenges in solidifying the regional cooperation for disaster management. The Korean government identified disaster management as one of the promising areas for middle-power diplomacy, thinking that a rapid increase in demand for disaster management requires a more active role of middle powers, such as Korea.