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Before 2021, the color was green; after 2021, the color changed to blue.
The status of the South Korean passport is among the best in the world. As of 2024, South Korean citizens are privileged to enter 191 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival.
The South Korean passport ranks in the top three out of 226 countries worldwide, allowing citizens to travel abroad with relative freedom. The power of the passport goes beyond mere administrative convenience.
It’s a reflection of the diplomatic credibility and success that South Korea has earned in the international community. So how did the South Korean passport become so powerful? What role have the country’s diplomatic and geographic characteristics and economic development played?
The status and international trust of the South Korean passport
In the modern era, passports have become an essential document for crossing borders, and their power is directly related to a country’s international credibility. One of the reasons why South Korean passports are so trusted internationally is due to the country’s strong diplomatic track record and international image management.
From its beginnings as a small peninsular nation in East Asia, the Republic of Korea experienced strong economic growth throughout the second half of the 20th century and rose to international prominence.
South Korea fought communism at the forefront of the freedom camp during the Cold War, which helped build a strong image as a liberal democracy in the international community.
After the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Koreans began to travel abroad as the liberalization of international travel was fully implemented.
As of 2019, approximately 28 million South Koreans have traveled abroad, which is an important testament to the high credibility of the South Korean passport abroad.
Geography and historical context of the South Korean passport
Geographically, South Korea is a peninsular country, surrounded on three sides by the sea, with North Korea blocking land access to the continent.
While this means that South Korea has limited ways to connect to the outside world, the passport’s access to the rest of the world is a huge advantage for its citizens.
While South Korea has no physical land borders with any countries, it maintains seamless relationships with major countries around the world and enjoys the visa-free benefits of the passport. This is very rare internationally.
South Korea’s passport power can be explained by its unique historical context of past colonial experiences and economic leapfrogging. As a former colony under Japanese imperialism, South Korea is different from other imperialist countries.
While most Western industrialized countries were former colonies, South Korea has become a successful example of decolonization, economic growth, and democratization.
This has resonated well with developing countries and has positively impacted South Korea’s diplomatic image.
Balance and pragmatism in South Korean diplomacy
One of the reasons why the South Korean passport is so strong is that the country has maintained a very balanced diplomatic relationship.
During the Cold War, South Korea was a key player in the Freedom Camp against communist countries, but after the end of the Cold War, it actively sought to establish diplomatic relations with all countries.
Since 1991, when it joined the United Nations as the 161st member state, South Korea has expanded its diplomatic reach globally. As a result, South Korea has a wide range of diplomatic relationships with not only first-world industrialized nations, but also third-world countries.
What makes South Korea stand out is that it maintains friendly relations not only with traditional Western countries, but also with Eastern Bloc countries like Russia.
For example, South Korea established diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, providing $3 billion in loans, and later formed a famous economic collaboration known as the Brown Bear Project.
This cooperation was an important step in strengthening economic ties with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is why South Korean passports currently enjoy visa-free entry to Russia.
This is in contrast to Japanese passports, which will not be able to enter Russia visa-free until 2022, and is a result of South Korea’s flexibility in its diplomatic relations with various countries.
Diplomatic achievements with Middle Eastern countries
The strength of the South Korean passport can also be seen in its diplomatic relations with Middle Eastern countries. As a religiously liberal country, South Korea has maintained friendly relations with Middle Eastern countries.
From the 1970s to the 1980s, South Korea won several civil engineering projects in the Middle East, strengthening economic cooperation.
During this time, South Korea maintained friendly relations with Sunni monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Libya, as well as with the Shiite state of Iran.
Relations with Iran date back to the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1970s, and economic cooperation and civilian exchanges continued even after Iran’s revolutionary transformation into an anti-American state.
A prime example of this is Seoul’s “Tehran Road. It originated in the mid-1970s, when South Korea and Iran named roads in each other’s cities after their capitals to promote friendship.
Even after the Iranian Revolution, the road name was retained, symbolizing that the two countries still have a friendly relationship.
South Korea’s balanced diplomacy with both Sunni and Shiite sides of the Middle East has made it a relatively trusted country in the region.
South Korea’s economic success and visa-free agreement
The large number of visa-free countries on a South Korean passport also has economic implications.
South Korea’s successful economic recovery after the IMF crisis has secured the country’s economic position among the world’s industrialized nations, making it a role model for other developing countries.
Korea has also established a strong diplomatic presence in economic cooperation with developing countries based on its practical technology and manufacturing-oriented economic structure.
Korea provides high-quality products and technologies at a relatively low cost compared to developed countries, and this economic cooperation has been positively received by other countries.
As a result, many countries have concluded that it is in their interests to strengthen ties with South Korea and grant visa-free entry to South Korean nationals.
The international image of South Koreans and the power of the passport
The power of the South Korean passport comes not just from its national background, but also from the international image of South Koreans.
South Koreans are seen as relatively harmless abroad, which is an important factor in other countries granting them visa-free entry.
While not all Koreans uphold this image, most Koreans maintain a positive image abroad.
Koreans tend to spend a lot of money when they travel, which is one of the reasons they are perceived as attractive visitors to many countries.
Attracting Korean tourists can have a positive economic impact for many countries, as they pose little economic risk and spend a lot of money.
As a result, many countries offer visa-free entry to South Koreans, which further strengthens the power of the South Korean passport.
The future of the South Korean passport
The status of the South Korean passport is likely to continue to grow in the future. As South Korea continues to maintain friendly diplomatic relations with a wide range of countries, it will be able to sign visa-free agreements with more countries.
This will not only give South Koreans more freedom to travel abroad, but will also further strengthen the country’s international standing and diplomatic achievements.
In the future, Korea will be more closely connected to the world through the power of the passport, which will allow us to further expand our economic and diplomatic achievements.
