[Man-Ki Kim] Korea’s strategic UN positioning

Why did the United States decide to withdraw from or disengage with dozens of United Nations agencies, despite being the country that designed the Bretton Woods system in 1944 and helped shape the modern multilateral order after World War II?

While domestic political considerations may have played a role, the decision reflects a deeper reassessment of whether multilateral institutions continue to serve national interests as effectively as intended. The move raises a question that other major contributors, including South Korea, can no longer afford to ignore.

The United Nations was created to prevent the recurrence of global conflict by providing a framework for collective security. Over time, its mandate expanded to include humanitarian assistance, human rights promotion, sustainable development, respect for international law and international cooperation. Yet persistent questions remain about whether the organization consistently delivers practical solutions or whether parts of the system have become overly politicized and bureaucratic. In today’s fragmented global environment, this tension lies at the center of debates over the UN’s relevance and effectiveness.

For Korea, this debate carries particular weight.

Korea’s relationship with the United Nations is neither abstract nor ideological; it is deeply historical and experiential. In the aftermath of the Korean War, Korea was among the world’s poorest countries, with gross domestic product per capita barely exceeding $158 in 1960. It was also a major recipient of international assistance, including World Bank support, which played a critical role in rebuilding infrastructure and enabling long-term economic transformation.

Few countries’ development trajectories are as closely intertwined with the multilateral system as Korea’s. From a war-torn aid recipient, Korea achieved sustained growth and institutional development, eventually becoming a member of the G20. In 2010, Korea joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Development Assistance Committee as a donor. This transformation demonstrates that multilateral cooperation, when paired with effective domestic policy and governance, can succeed.

That history gives Korea both credibility and responsibility within the UN system.

Today, Korea ranks among the top 10 financial contributors to the United Nations, accounting for approximately 2.57 percent of total contributions through assessed and voluntary funding. Korea is no longer a peripheral supporter of multilateralism; it is part of the system’s financial backbone. Yet leadership cannot be measured by financial contributions alone. It is reflected in how effectively a country translates commitment into operational engagement and real-world impact.

This is where strategic reflection becomes necessary.

One practical lens through which to assess engagement is participation in UN operations, particularly UN procurement. This is because procurement provides a concrete indicator of how deeply a country’s institutions, technologies and private-sector capabilities are integrated into the UN’s operations.

From this perspective, Korea’s position is striking. According to the UN Annual Statistical Report, the UN system spent approximately $24.7 billion on goods and services in 2024. Despite ranking among the top 10 in financial contributions, Korea accounted for only about 1.14 percent of total UN procurement, placing it 25th among supplier countries.

By comparison, Switzerland accounted for about 4.18 percent of UN procurement, supplying more than $1.16 billion’ worth of goods and services and ranking as the second-largest supplier to the UN, despite contributing less financially than Korea. The United Arab Emirates offers an equally striking contrast. Despite being a far smaller financial contributor to the UN system, the UAE captured roughly 3.7 percent of total UN procurement, ranking third overall through a robust national strategy that has positioned the country as a key operating and logistics hub for UN agencies. Korea, by contrast, ranked 25th among UN suppliers.

These contrasts do not imply failure on Korea’s part. They highlight unrealized potential. Common misconceptions surrounding UN procurement, such as the belief that "Made in Korea" products lack competitiveness, do not hold. A majority of the UN’s top 10 suppliers are OECD countries, demonstrating that success depends not only on price, but also on reliability, standards compliance, institutional familiarity and sustained engagement.

Importantly, this assessment should not be misunderstood as an attempt to instrumentalize the United Nations. The UN operates under a sustainable procurement policy and its processes remain open to any company that can deliver best value for money. Korean firms are fully eligible to compete. The challenge lies not in access, but in strategy.

Korea today is one of the world’s most technologically advanced and digitally connected societies. It possesses deep experience in e-government, digital public infrastructure, development policy, governance reform and crisis recovery, capabilities many developing countries actively seek. The question is no longer whether Korea supports the UN, but whether it engages the system in ways that fully reflect its capabilities and historical experience.

The recent US recalibration should be read less as an invitation to retreat than as a reminder. Multilateral institutions endure not on legacy alone, but on relevance, effectiveness and member-state confidence. For Korea, this moment represents an opportunity to move from contribution to stewardship by aligning financial support, operational engagement and official development assistance with the UN’s core missions and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Korea has reached a level of economic and institutional maturity where passive contribution is no longer sufficient. With its rare journey from recipient to donor, Korea is uniquely positioned to help the United Nations fulfill its mission and empower others to follow the path it once walked.

Man-Ki Kim

Man-Ki Kim is a professor at the KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy, specializing in global public procurement, defense acquisition innovation and global strategic trends. He also serves as a senior adviser at Yulchon. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.