The position of the Republic of Korea on the creation of the Indo-Pacific region in 2008-2022

Most states quite clearly formulated their position on the construction of a new Indo-Pacific region. In the Republic of Korea, this process dragged on; during 2008- 2022, one can only note individual statements by government officials regarding this project. The purpose of the article is to determine the factors that influenced the formation of the position of the Republic of Korea in relation to the Indo-Pacific region. Sources. During the work, a wide range of different sources was involved. Firstly, these are official documents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the US Department of State, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, etc. Secondly, reports and analytical notes prepared by the US State Department, the US Department of Defense, the US White House Administration, the Administration of the Presidents of the Republic of Korea, the ASEAN Secretariat, etc. were used. Thirdly, the periodicals of Japan, the US, South Korea were considered. In all cases content and event analysis was used. Conclusion. The following factors which influenced the change in the position of the official authorities of the Republic of Korea in relation to the concept of the Indo-Pacific region can be identified: 1. The role of the key partner of the Republic of Korea - the United States, which over the past years have emphasized the need for a clear articulation of its position within the framework of the proposed Indo-Pacific concept. 2. The format of cooperation with the countries of Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania: for a long time, South Korea promoted networking, which did not involve bloc confrontation and implied the possibility of economic, financial, cultural partnership even in the presence of political differences. But the world events of 2022 (SMO and the ongoing gap between the US and China) made it impossible to continue this format in the form promoted by South Korea. 3. The development and presentation of the "Strategy for a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region", where, as part of determining its own place in the Indo-Pacific region, the Republic of Korea positions itself as a "Global Pivotal State" and proposes "multi-layered and comprehensive approach" for cooperation both with the countries of the region and with non-regional states.