OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA) IN KOREAN FOREIGN POLICY: MIDDLE POWER DIPLOMACY AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

Abstract

South Korea’s transformation from one of the poorest countries in the world in the aftermath of the Korean War to a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is frequently presented as a textbook case of successful “developmental catch-up.” While this narrative has been widely studied, considerably less attention has been paid to the role of official development assistance (ODA) as a deliberate instrument of Korean foreign policy. This article analyses how ODA has been integrated into South Korea’s foreign policy strategy and how it functions within its broader middle-power diplomacy and “global pivotal state” ambitions.

The article demonstrates that Korean ODA has evolved from fragmented technical assistance into a central pillar of foreign policy. The Methods section outlines a qualitative, interpretive approach based on document analysis. The Results trace the historical evolution of Korean ODA, its institutional architecture (KOICA, EDCF, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy and Finance), patterns of geographic and sectoral allocation, and Korea’s engagement in global development governance, particularly through the 2011 Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation. The Discussion highlights persistent tensions between normative commitments—such as solidarity, sustainable development and development effectiveness—and strategic objectives related to economic diplomacy, regional influence and security. The article concludes that while ODA has become integral to South Korea’s foreign policy identity, its effectiveness as a middle-power tool remains constrained by domestic politics, bureaucratic fragmentation and relatively low ODA-to-GNI levels.