South Korea has been distinguished in the global memory chip industry for many years, but this long-term South Korean effort is under threat, and ensuring that South Korea remains in competition in general, amid the struggle between the United States and China over semiconductors, is in danger. Hence the visit of South Korean President Yoon Seok-Yeol to the UAE, as part of a campaign as part of South Korea’s national efforts to finance and stimulate South Korea’s domestic chip industry.
The importance of that visit increases strategically within the framework of protecting South Korea’s national security, with the United States, China and Japan pumping billions into building their chip supply chains, which hinders South Korea’s future role in the field of semiconductors. It has become a matter of South Korean national security, a phrase that has been used a lot recently between Washington and Beijing by those directing talent, money, and policy support to develop semiconductor chips that support future technologies of artificial intelligence and the next generation of computing, especially to develop military capability, which is what South Korea is trying to compete and confront between Washington and Beijing.
Here, Seoul avoided commenting on the extent of its commitment to US President Joe Biden’s sanctions on knowledge exports related to the tense technological relationship between the United States of America and China. Therefore, the visit of South Korean President “Yun” to the UAE comes to express the extent of South Korea’s need to build its own local technological capabilities, away from the risk of increasing its subjugation to foreign powers, according to the view of the South Korean government.
This was confirmed by South Korea regarding its intention to focus its political efforts on expanding its diplomatic horizons this year by strengthening relations with other countries of “common values” in order to overcome “complex global crises”, in a statement published on the official page of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Her report to President “Yun Seok-yeol” on major policy assignments for 2023.
This came as part of efforts to achieve the vision of the political administration of Seoul, which is to make South Korea a “global pivotal country”, through “preventive and proactive” diplomacy amid ongoing challenges, such as: the escalation of “strategic competition” between the United States of America and China and the role of South Korea in it, And the extent to which South Korean interests were affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war, as well as the side economic effects of the Corona pandemic on the South Korean economy and globally.
For this, South Korea seeks to continue developing the global comprehensive strategic alliance between it and the United States of America and its other allies, which was actually agreed upon during the talks between South Korean Presidents “Yun Seok-yul” and his US counterpart “Joe Biden” during their joint meeting on May 2022, aimed at strengthening tripartite security cooperation, which also includes Japan, led by Washington, in the face of China.
The capital, Seoul, continues to seek to reform relations with Tokyo with the help of Washington in confronting China mainly, by searching for “reasonable solutions” to the outstanding issues between them, i.e. between South Korea and Japan, with South Korea seeking to revive “shuttle diplomacy” with Japan through this political process to confront Expansion and containment of China with the help of Washington and its allies around the world and in the Indo-Pacific region in the American sense or the Asia-Pacific region in the Chinese concept. Especially with the South Korean defense and security concerns about the joint Chinese-Russian flights over the Asia-Pacific region in November 2022, over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.
Therefore, the choice of the South Korean capital for the UAE came specifically in view of its importance in the political agenda of Seoul, as well as its support for Seoul’s investments related to the technology sector, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors as a strong competition in the face of Beijing, and from here South Korea sought to strengthen its relationship with the Emirates as a real gateway to the Middle East region, so it was a country For the capital, Seoul, the Emirates is the first country in the Middle East to enjoy strategic partnership relations with the Republic of South Korea, in the issues of defending human rights, humanitarian issues, climate, and other contributions to joint charitable projects between the two countries.
We can find here, the South Korea’s keenness to open many technological companies for semiconductors and chips that enter many technological industries and artificial intelligence technology in the UAE came to compete with China, mainly in favor of Washington. The number of South Koreans residing in the UAE has reached about 15,000 South Korean citizens, while the number of South Korean companies operating in the UAE has reached about 200 operating companies as a strong competitor to the Chinese, thanks to direct flights from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to the South Korean capital “Seoul”, Economic, trade and tourism relations between the two countries have witnessed a great leap in recent years.
The visit of South Korean President “Yun Seok Yul” to the United Arab Emirates aims to build a new strategic relationship based on the accumulated trust between the two sides. It also aims to support a number of joint development and economic investment projects between South Korea as a strategic ally of Washington with the UAE, the most important of which is The launch of the “Barakah” peaceful nuclear power plant project”, which represents a symbol of cooperation between the South Korean and UAE sides, after South Korea won a deal to build the “Barakah” nuclear power plant in 2009 after fierce competition with China and many other powers and countries. Among the objectives of South Korean President Yoon’s visit to the UAE will also be to work on expanding bilateral cooperation and embodying it in four main areas, the most important of which are: (developing the field of nuclear energy, energy security, weapons manufacturing, as well as cooperation in the field of investments and joint projects between the two countries). As a field of vital competition in the face of the Chinese.
There is confirmation by South Korean President Yoon of his desire to invite UAE Sheikh “Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan” to visit South Korea to see the progress of South Korean technology compared to Chinese, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, technology chips, and others. This, of course, is supported by Washington as a strong strategic ally of South Korea and Japan in the face of the Chinese.
We find that after the establishment of bilateral relations between the UAE and South Korea during the era of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, and the opening of the UAE embassy in the capital, Seoul, in 1987, the UAE-South Korean relations were characterized by strength and stability, and witnessed a wide exchange of visits between senior officials in The two countries, within the framework of the two countries’ endeavor to develop relations and enhance joint cooperation in all political, economic, commercial and scientific and technical fields, in addition to exchanging views on all regional and international issues.
On the other hand, the visit of the South Korean President will reflect positively on the tourism sector. In terms of tourism exchange, we find that about 140,000 South Korean tourists visited the UAE during 2017, while the number of Emirati tourists to South Korea reached about 10,000, in addition to Noting that 1,600 South Koreans are studying in universities, institutes and schools in the Emirates, which contributes to strengthening the distinguished relations that bring together the two countries.
The two countries celebrated the completion of the construction works of the first station in (the Barakah Peaceful Nuclear Energy Plant Project in the Emirates), for its possession of a peaceful nuclear energy plant, and for becoming the first new member to join the global peaceful nuclear sector since 1985, this is what Washington supported as an ally of South Korea to balance the Chinese presence and influence in the Middle East region through the UAE’s window to the region.
Therefore, the President of the Republic of South Korea called during the South Korean Business Forum, which was organized by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in March 2019, for all Emirati investors to benefit from South Korean expertise in major economic sectors, with the abundance of various business opportunities in South Korea, and the confirmation of the South Korean side came , that the United Arab Emirates is the strategic partner of the South Koreans in the Middle East region, and it is, of course, a South Korean attempt to be present in the face of the raging Chinese competition there in favor of the American side that seeks to obstruct the influence, business and investments of the Chinese everywhere around the world, especially in the Middle East region The United Arab Emirates is at the heart of it.
Perhaps the opportunity for the Dubai International Expo 2020 came to constitute an important opportunity for the Republic of South Korea to share its vision with Emirati visitors and participants, and for the hidden South Korean assertion of its superiority in many advanced technological sectors in the face of the Chinese dragon with American and Western support for the South Koreans.
Therefore, it is expected that the coming period will witness more cooperation in many fields between South Korea and the UAE, especially in the areas of: Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, artificial intelligence, in addition to other vital sectors. This will, of course, ignite competition with the Chinese side in the region.
It is also expected, through the visit, that partnership and cooperation will take place between the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and start-up businesses in South Korea, regarding cooperation in the fields of small and medium enterprises and innovation. In addition to the interest of the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Executive Office for Intellectual Property in South Korea to cooperate in preparing an advanced patent management system in the UAE. In addition to cooperation in the field of science between the Department of Economic Development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the South Korean Ministry of Science, Information Technology and Communications, all of which are vital fields and sectors to compete with the Chinese.
After the visit of the South Korean President, it is expected that the UAE’s main exports to South Korea will increase, which will include: crude oil, petroleum products, aluminum and liquefied petroleum gas. The main South Korean exports to the UAE will include modern electronic products, cars, equipment and oil facilities. We find that due to the expansion of joint projects between the two countries, the number of South Korean visitors and residents in the UAE has increased in recent years.
From here, we conclude an important conclusion that the South Korean moves around the world as a strong strategic ally of Washington and the West, come calculated and accurate in confronting the Chinese and trying to obstruct the rise and economic growth of China around the world with the help of Washington and its allies in the West. This is what China is now calculating well in the framework of its constant endeavor to monitor the global situation regarding the moves of Washington and its allies in confronting it.
