Lee Jae-myung’s victory in South Korea’s snap presidential elections has ended six months of political turmoil. The time is ripe for the country to lift its engagement on regional issues, including climate change.
Lee’s election promises and the tradition of the Democratic Party suggest he will focus on issues close to home, such as inter-Korea relations and the country’s stagnating economy. However, it is also important that South Korea presents itself as a trusted and reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific. Considering the cascading and compounding effects of climate change globally, it would be in Seoul’s interest to advance climate cooperation with regional partners.
South Korea is experiencing a range of climate-induced disasters with increasing frequency and intensity. Coastal cities, such as Busan, are experiencing rising sea levels. Last year’s wildfires, which killed 32 people, were the worst in the country’s history.
Climate change also threatens the country’s food security. Domestically, rising temperatures are affecting crops such as napa cabbages, which are often used to make kimchi, a favourite Korean food. Internationally, disruptions to food supply chains, including those caused by climate-related effects on agriculture production, continue to affect South Korean imports of grains such as wheat and soybeans.
Climate change is expected to cause more severe and more frequent droughts, increasing water scarcity. Since stable water supply is required for making such things as semiconductors and batteries and for operation of nuclear power plants, these effects threaten South Korea’s manufacturing and energy sectors. This year, Seoul acknowledged a need to build more groundwater reservoir dams and seawater desalination plants.
However, it is not enough for South Korea to narrowly focus on domestic climate issues: regional effects of climate change also have consequences for South Korea. These could include increased demand for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, as seen in 2013 when a devastating typhoon hit the Philippines, or a surge in immigration, as seen in the 1990s when famine in North Korea triggered increased defections to neighbouring countries.
Previous South Korean administrations have responded to climate effects in many ways. In 2020, Moon Jae-in introduced the Green New Deal to reduce fossil fuel dependence and progress the country’s aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. On a regional level, Yoon Suk-yeol in 2023 elevated climate and energy security as a key area for cooperation in his Indo-Pacific strategy, and promoted climate cooperation with Pacific island countries at an inaugural leader-level summit.
Rather than letting these previous climate initiatives fade into obscurity, Lee should build on their momentum. It is true that the administration has its own security concerns to prioritise, including resuming dialogue with North Korea, and potentially burden-sharing the cost of US troops on South Korean soil. However, investing resources in regional climate resilience in the short term will help the South Korea in the long term.
Regional climate cooperation will consolidate South Korea’s status as a trusted and reliable partner of choice. In 2023, Yoon pledged that South Korea would double the scale of its overseas development assistance to the Pacific by 2027. Since South Korea’s assistance to the Pacific only increased by 0.1 percent compared to other regions in 2024, Lee has a chance to make good on South Korea’s pledge. South Korea should also consider matching other countries’ contributions to regional climate mechanisms, such as the Pacific Resilience Facility, which has received contributions from China and Japan.
As well as this, by helping to build regional counterparts’ resilience to climate effects, South Korea can reduce the severity of flow-on effects such as migration and demand for aid. In particular, the country can leverage the expertise of its tech companies to build and support regional climate-resilient infrastructure. For example, the world’s first floating city prototype, released in 2022 by a South Korean company in partnership with the United Nations and the city of Busan, offers an innovative model for other countries to emulate.
South Korean tech companies could also develop responses to the depletion of fish stocks, which are a result of fish migrating from tropical Pacific waters due to rising temperatures. By working with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, companies could co-design technological solutions, including the use of satellite imagery, drones and ocean temperature monitoring.
As a key regional power, South Korea must recognise and act on climate change as a transboundary challenge that poses complex threats to global security. Immediate concerns such as the domestic economy and managing inter-Korea relations will naturally be key areas of concern for Lee’s administration. But as the country’s role and influence in the region grows, delivering the climate promises of previous administrations will help South Korea maintain its status as a trusted security partner of choice.