South Korea's prospects of joining the G7

G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a working session on the final day of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21. Photo: Yonhap

Established in 1975, the G7 is an informal group of the world's leading industrialized nations – the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy. Although South Korea is not a member, it has participated as an observer in the four annual G7 leaders' summits since 2008.

In recent years, policymakers have debated whether South Korea could have a permanent seat in the G7. And the idea appears to be gaining growing support, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's attendance at the most recent G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

The ruling National Power Party has praised Yoon's commitment to bringing South Korea to a greater role in addressing global crises, as well as a series of bilateral and trilateral summits he has held with G7 leaders. Officials say South Korea is now like a "member of the G8."

Speaking at a forum organized by the Korean News Editors Association on May 23, Foreign Minister Park Jin also offered similar praise. He stated, "The foreign policies implemented by President Yoon Suk Yeol have elevated South Korea's status to that of the G7 nations, and even to the G8."

Analysts believe there is a strong possibility that Asia's fourth-largest economy could become a member of the G7 – given its economic size, military, and political system.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Associate Professor of International Relations at King's College London and President of KF-VUB Korea at the Brussels School of Management, stated: “South Korea’s current capabilities ensure its ability to join the G7. Most importantly, South Korea’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is essentially on par with Japan and Italy.”

However, Pacheco Pardo said that South Korea is not the only country seeking a seat at the G7.

“Becoming a full member of the G7 will probably only happen along with other countries – most notably Australia, and perhaps India. Because the move to add more members would be an acknowledgment by the G7 countries that the current structure of the group is outdated and needs to include more Asian and Indo- Pacific nations,” he explained.

G7 leaders and invited nations – including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol – at the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20. Photo: Yonhap

Naoko Aoki, a political scientist at the non-profit RAND Corporation, commented that joining the G7 is a good opportunity for South Korea to play a larger global role, as a strong democracy with significant economic and political influence.

Although the G7 does not have any official criteria for granting membership, the decision to allow a new country to join the group requires the approval of all member states. There are some concerns that Japan – the only Asian country in the G7 – may not welcome South Korea's entry into the group.

But Ms. Aoki saw things differently. She said, "I think Japan should cooperate closely with countries that support a rules-based international order, especially a country with significant economic and political influence like South Korea."

However, both experts questioned the practical benefits that South Korea could receive if it became a permanent member of the G7.

"The question for South Korea is whether the G7 is a path paved with light. In other words, is joining the G7 a good way for South Korea to exert its influence globally?" Ms. Aoki said.

According to her, the G7 has changed since the early 1970s, when the group began operating as a forum for central bank officials and finance ministers. Researcher Aoki stated that today, the G7's share of global economic output is declining compared to the G20 – the group of leading developed and emerging economies.

Professor Pacheco Pardo shares a similar view. He believes that full membership in the G7 may not make much of a difference for South Korea in international relations.

“Politically, it would be highly symbolic. South Korea is now regularly invited to G7 summits, and its policies are in line with those of the G7 members anyway. So, from a purely practical standpoint, I don’t think there would be a major shift when South Korea joins the group,” he argued.

Furthermore, experts note that Seoul should reconsider its relationship with Beijing if the latter joins the G7.

For his part, Pacheco Pardo argued that if South Korea joined the G7, it would signal becoming part of the West, moving away from its current status as a neutral nation.

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