East Asia: Facts and Analytics 2026/1
DOI: 10.24412/2686-7702-2026-1-75-88
URL: PDF
Author
| Samsonova Viktoria G. |
| Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences |
| ORCID: 0000-0002-9577-6463 |
| E-mail: samsonova@iccaras.ru |
Abstract
The main objective of this article is to analyze the key features of the Republic of Korea’s trade policy within the WTO and to explore the prospects and challenges the country faced both in the initial stages of its accession to the organization and at the present stage. The author examines South Korea’s liberalization policy, the implementation of which was necessary for the country’s accession to the WTO, and the consequences of its implementation for some markets, particularly the agricultural one. The article confirms the idea that, in the context of the WTO crisis due to escalating trade wars, protectionism, and violations of the organization’s rules by major players, South Korea is forced to demonstrate “miraculous maneuvering” and actively diversify its trade relations, including by expanding the geography of free trade zones. The author examines the destructive role of the United States in the WTO, as well as the American policy of economic pressure on the Republic of Korea. The author comes to conclusion that, despite the successes achieved in the trade sphere, growing global uncertainty, the weakening of the WTO’s position, and the escalation of tariff wars are negatively affecting the Republic of Korea. There are doubts that the country will be able to overcome these trends in the short term, given its high dependence on global markets.
Keywords
Republic of Korea, WTO, import liberalization, trade disputes, tariff war
Support
The research was carried out within the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project No. FMSF-2024-0018 “Prospects for a Korean settlement and Russia’s interests”).
Acknowledgments
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For citation
Samsonova V.G. (2026). Osobennosti torgovoy politiki Respubliki Koreya v ramkax VTO [Features of the trade policy of the Republic of Korea within the WTO]. Vostochnaya Aziya: fakty i analitika [East Asia: Facts and Analytics], 8 (1): 75–88. (In Russian). DOI 10.24412/2686-7702-2026-1-75-88
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Dates
| Received Date: | Feb 6, 2026 |
| Accepted Date: | Mar 13, 2026 |
| Publication Date: | Mar 27, 2026 |