Editor's Note

On November 13, 2020, the EAI and Brookings institution jointly held the 2nd online seminar of the series titled "Prospects for U.S.-South Korea Cooperation in an Era of U.S.-China Strategic Competition". In session 2: economy, energy, and environment, Samantha Gross addressed that cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. on energy or environment has been almost “absent.” South Korean government will have to align its energy policy in line with that of the U.S., which means joining the Global Green New Deal initiative if Biden Administration sets in. The form of carbon cooperation between the U.S. and China also matters; if the U.S. and China opt for the high carbon cooperation, Korea will increase import of oil and LNG from the U.S., and if they turn to a low carbon cooperation, Korea will be under pressure to reduce carbon emission as soon as possible.

Quotes from the Paper

Introduction                  

Unlike the Obama administration, the Trump administration does not deal with energy policies in tandem with environmental policies. The goal of energy policy is energy dominance (or energy independence / self-sufficiency). Although insisting "energy production and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive," President Trump made the country officially withdraw from the Paris Agreement in 2019. Since the outbreak of the trade war, President Trump has pushed ahead with decoupling – or even a new Cold War – through maximum pressure on China. Thus, almost all cooperation with China promoted by the Obama administration has ceased.

Author’s Biography

■ Wang Hwi Lee is a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Division of International Studies at Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea, where he has taught international political economy since 2006. He is the author of “The Politics of Economic Reform in South Korea: Crony Capitalism after Ten Years”, “Pulling South Korea away from China’s Orbit: The Strategic Implications of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement” and “Crisis Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.” His research interests have been focused on issues of the political economy of economic policy and institutions in East Asian countries. Lee received his Ph.D. from London School of Economics and Political Science.