New Kid on the Block: South Korea as an Emerging ODA Player

South Korea has so far failed to fulfil its potential as an important player in Overseas Development Aid, with its aid having been too little and spread too thin. Meanwhile, China and other emerging donors have arrived on the scene. However, as aid receiving countries begin to recognize the strings attached to South-South partnerships, Seoul now has a new window of opportunity to increase its soft power and expand beneficial partnerships with developing countries through a better-tailored ODA policy, and one that provides greater political and financial commitments. President Park Geun-hye’s new “aid agenda” represents a step in the right direction.