Analysis of South Korea’s Foreign Policy toward Israel: Proposal for Future Directions based on Documents of South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs

South Korea’s foreign policy in the Middle East after 1945 focused on ensuring a stable supply of oil and expanding its export markets in the area. While the pro-Arab policies promoted economic market growth, it led to a distancing from Israel, thus hindering the relations between South Korea and Israel. Therefore, in this paper we examine (a) the causes for the development of South Korea’s distancing policies toward Israel, (b) the effects and implications of the recent political dynamics in the Middle East and the Abraham Accords on South Korea’s foreign policies, and (c) future policy directions toward Israel.