South Korea is seeking to join a 12-member multilateral economic and trade alliance led by Japan to hedge against intensifying US-China rivalry and heightened tariff threats from Washington.
Senior government officials said after a ministerial-level economic meeting on Wednesday that Seoul will review joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to secure a network of “like-minded economic partners.”
The announcement marks Korea’s first serious efforts in four years to join the Japanese-led trade bloc, signaling a strategic shift in trade policy under mounting geopolitical pressure.
Launched in 2018 after the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the CPTTP counts 12 countries as its members – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the UK and Vietnam.
Seoul first floated membership to the economic and trade bloc in 2021 under then-President Moon Jae-in, but the plan stalled amid fierce opposition from farmers concerned about the further opening of Korea’s agricultural and fisheries markets.
CPTTP is a 12-member multilateral economic and trade bloc established in 2018 PRESIDENT LEE SIGNALS WILLINGNESS TO JOIN CPTTP
President Lee Jae Myung signaled a renewed willingness to join the CPTTP at an interview with Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun ahead of his bilateral summit in Tokyo last month.
Lee said at the time Seoul needs to “seriously discuss building a firm economic cooperation body with Pacific Rim nations.”
The momentum has been reinforced by a thaw in Seoul-Tokyo ties, which officials say could pave the way for closer supply chain and technology partnerships.
The strategic rationale has become more urgent under Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with Seoul bracing for a tougher US trade stance.
Yeo Han-koo, Korea’s trade minister, said earlier this week that diversifying export markets through platforms such as the CPTPP is “a strategic necessity” in light of escalating US-China trade frictions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and US President Donald Trump are locked in a trade war that could decimate US industry if rare earth exports are cut off permanently PATH REMAINS FRAUGHT
Economists expect membership to lift Korea’s GDP by about 0.38 percentage point, mainly through new market access in Japan and Mexico, with which Seoul does not yet have bilateral free trade agreements.
A July study by the state-run Korea Development Institute (KDI) showed joining the trade bloc would help reduce Korea’s reliance on the US and China and strengthen supply chain resilience.
The path remains fraught, however.
The CPTPP requires extensive liberalization, including eased quarantine checks on agricultural products and transparency on fisheries subsidies.
Japan has also linked Korea’s accession to a possible reopening of its seafood market – a politically sensitive issue in Seoul.
Membership requires unanimous approval by existing members, giving Tokyo considerable leverage.
President Lee Jae Myung (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of their summit at Ishiba's residence in Tokyo on Aug. 23, 2025 Officials also acknowledge the political hurdles.
“The agriculture and fisheries ministries could have different views from the trade ministry (on Korea’s membership),” said an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, noting that strong domestic resistance could slow the process.
Trade experts said a delay carries greater risks.
“Probably, the only way to offset US tariff walls is for the rest of the world to band together and create a massive integrated market,” said Hur Jung, an economics professor at Sogang University and the president of the Korean Association of Trade and Industry Studies. “With even the EU considering engagement with the CPTPP, Korea must move quickly.”
Write to Dae-Hun Kim and Ji-Eun Ha at daepun@hankyung.com In-Soo Nam edited this article.
