Keywords

Convening a German–Korean Development Research Network

This edited volume brings together development scholars from Germany and the Republic of Korea (referred to throughout this volume as Korea) to identify commonalities and differences in the approaches and priorities of both countries to pursue and support global sustainable development. While different in scope, focus and theme, the contributions share a common objective for Korean and German development scholars to learn from one another.

Contributions to the book were selected from inputs by a wide range of participants to three workshops held at Ewha Womans University, Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) in Seoul (22 June 2022 and 12–13 June 2023) and at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn (17–18 October 2022). These three workshops were supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; DFG) and the Korean National Research Foundation (NRF) in the context of a joint DFG and NRF research grant on “Towards Inclusive Multilateralism: Investigating Synergies in Development Cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Germany”, led by Thomas Kalinowski and Stephan Klingebiel. In addition to acknowledging the financial support that enabled the exchanges within the network and this resulting volume, the editors also extend their gratitude to the Ewha Graduate School of International Studies’ Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS), the Ewha Frontier 10–10 programme, the Korea Association of International Development and Cooperation (KAIDEC) and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) for providing support for the workshops.

Structure and Contributions to This Volume

The volume is divided into three parts. In the first, authors identify shared goals and discuss different policies in development cooperation and green transitions. The second part examines the geopolitical and regional contexts for German and Korean international relations. Finally, the third part investigates current and potential pathways of cooperation between Germany and Korea.

Part 1: Shared Goals and Distinct Paths

Germany and Korea share the goal of an ecologically sustainable future. At the same time, their paths towards sustainability are quite different, providing important lessons for countries in the Global North and the Global South alike. Both countries also share the same vision of a world free from poverty and are the main proponents of international cooperation based on multilateralism. Germany was a founding member of the international development cooperation system as we know it today; Korea became a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996 and of its Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2010, and is considered both an important former recipient, with incoming development cooperation significantly influencing the country’s development, and a current provider of development cooperation. Their different starting points and histories translate to different external expectations and self-perception of their role in the global development system. Their pattern of growth in the provision of official development assistance (ODA) is also different, with a gradual increase for Korea, while for Germany a recent rapid increase to the status of the second largest bilateral provider in the OECD world will probably be followed by a period of decline starting in 2025.

The countries’ roles in relation to international climate finance also differ. Under the Kyoto Protocol (1997), Korea was categorized as a Non-Annex 1 country that is not obliged to contribute to climate finance in support of the Global South under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In practice, however, Korea has become a climate finance donor both bilaterally as well as in the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The first part of the book consists of four chapters that explore various aspects of the above developments, as well as looking at recent policy evolutions.

  • Germany and Korea: Comparing Systems, Policies and Cooperation Patterns (Niels Keijzer, Stephan Klingebiel and Min Jee Oh).

  • The Political Economy of German and Korean Sustainability Transitions (Thomas Kalinowski).

  • Positions of Established and Emerging Powers Towards Climate Finance: The Cases of Germany and Korea (Melis Baydag).

  • Realizing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda Through Foreign Aid: A Comparative Analysis of Korea and Germany (Min Joung Park).

Part 2: Regional and Global Contexts

The development policies and operations of Germany and Korea are confronted by a challenging global geopolitical and economic setting, as well as a worrying decline in human development globally. Both countries are being challenged to respond to this changing setting and to communicate such changes effectively in their contributions towards advancing sustainable development at home and through international (development) cooperation. Although Korea and Germany have considerable bilateral development budgets and delivery systems of their own, both countries also strongly focus on working within various global and regional alliances, ranging from the European Union (EU) to the United Nations (UN).

This part of the book discusses the dynamic geopolitical context for both countries (for example, the recent Indo-Pacific focus in international relations), the evolving development policy profiles of Korea and Germany, the involvement of both countries in key international organizations and the European Union, their respective roles in international climate policies and entry points for deepening Korean-German cooperation.

The following three chapters deal respectively with the increasing relevance to geopolitics of the development policies of Germany and Korea, including those co-shaped by Germany within the European Union, as well as a focus on the multilateral involvement of both countries. The part focuses also on multilateral solutions to climate justice.

  • The Impact of Geopolitics on the Field of Development in Korea and Germany (Brendan Howe/Stephan Klingebiel).

  • The Southernization of the EU’s Development Policy? A Critical Review of the EU Global Gateway (Niels Keijzer).

  • Multilateralism and Climate Justice (Songhee Han, Minah Kang, Jale Tosun).

Part 3: Exploring Collaborations and New Actor Constellations

One key element of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals is the considerable emphasis it places on delivering lasting results through multi-stakeholder partnerships. The agenda includes specific commitments to revitalizing the global partnership by “bringing together Governments, civil society, the private sector, the United Nations system and other actors and mobilizing all available resources”.

This part of the volume includes contributions that review experiences in government efforts to strengthen the role of the private sector in promoting global development. Moreover, it notes that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is not a set of ready-made solutions but in part includes policy dilemmas and crises that require further assessment and evidence-based solutions. Knowledge actors and research partnerships play key roles in this regard. This third and last part features three chapters that explore the role of various non-state actors in the international cooperation activities of Korea and Germany, with a focus on research cooperation and private sector engagement.

  • A Comparative Analysis of Korea and Germany’s Climate Change Mitigation Efforts: Implemented Technology and Financial Mechanism Projects Under the UNFCCC (Tae Kun KIM, Jee Hyo JEON, Donmin LEE).

  • The Evolution of Research and Partnership Activities in Support of Urban Transformation: The EU’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme (Hanna Kang, Moon Jung Kang, Jooyeon Moon).

  • Private Sector Engagement Policies in South Korea: Challenges and Policy Suggestion (Eunju Kim).