NEW DELHI: Will the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) be expanded by adding South Korea as another member to the existing group consisting of four countries—the US, India, Australia and Japan? South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s statement expressing desire to join the Quad framework has sparked this debate all around. This debate is engaging the diplomatic circles in New Delhi, Washington, Tokyo and Canberra. While the upcoming meeting between US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart just hours ahead of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May has become important in this backdrop, Japanese Premier Fumio Kishida wants an intensive association of Seoul with the forum to counter China. A South Korean delegation has already reached out to Kishida on various strategic issues including this one, sources said. India has thus far preferred to keep its counsel as far as expansion of Quad is concerned.
Highly-placed South Block sources who The Sunday Guardian spoke to were of the view that there is no immidiate plan to expand the grouping. “New Delhi will put its points across once a formal agenda comes up for a discussion. The Japan Quad summit will take it up or not is yet to be known,” sources said.
“But all the member states have started giving some thought to the South Korean leader’s proposal as he has dropped the ball in the Quad’s court,” top sources said. “Even if South Korea is not given a green signal for joining the group, there could be some possibility of allowing Seoul to be in a close association with the Quad in different frameworks and endeavours,” sources added. “The Quad leaders may discuss on how to make South Korea broaden its involvement in the forum’s working groups,” a source said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will sit together to ponder over it before the Quad Summit to be held in the Japanese capital on 24 May,” sources added. “All eyes will, therefore, be on Biden-Yoon interactions in Seoul ahead of the Quad meeting,” says a source. With India being the most important player in the Quad’s Indo-Pacific strategy to deal with Chinese challenges, the US, Australia and Japan will be discussing this issue at various will be inaugurated two weeks later, suggested that his country would positively consider joining the Quad framework if invited.
Observers say that he signalled a change in Seoul’s position on balanced ties with China and the US because of the changing global order resulting from the Ukraine conflict, and due also to Beijing’s growing aggression in various geographies including the areas where South Korea’s sovereignty is being jeopardized. South Korean leader Yoon ex- pressed his intention in an inter- view with a US newspaper. He said that he doesn’t expect South Korea to get an invitation to the framework made up of Japan, the United States, Australia and India anytime soon, but that his country will “positively review joining” if approached. Yoon, who won the presidential election early March is scheduled to take over on May 10. In fact, analysts say that Yoon is set to overhaul his country’s foreign policy, and his intention to work with Quad reflects his eagerness to be in close ties with US, Japan, Australia and India to counter Chinese threats to South Korea’s national interests.
Diplomats watching the developments related to the Quad in Washington and Tokyo told The Sunday Guardian that the White House has taken note of Seoul’s intention and Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to speak to his counterparts of India, Japan and Australia soon on this. “PM Modi will also be eager to hear from Biden on the same during their interactions in Tokyo as the Indian leader will be expecting the US President to share his views after his meeting with the Korean leader,” they added.
Officials from Quad countries had stated in the past that there was no policy yet on expanding the grouping. “The officials do not also at the same time rule out the possibility of altering the policy to either expand it or to allow RoK to work closely with the Quad as part of its working groups,” sources said.
In an important development, just a few days back, South Korean leader Yoon sent a delegation to meet Kishida where the Japanese Premier underscored Tokyo’s eagerness to drive Seoul into the Quad mechanism. “Given that the rules-based international order is threatened, strategic cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as be- tween Japan, the US and South Korea is needed more than ever.” These were the words of Kishida after meeting the RoK’s delegation with the Chinese threat in mind. Similarly, analysts believe that South Korea’s association with Quad suits Biden’s strategy to check China’s belligerence in Asia.