Cooperation on Transboundary Fine Dust: Revisiting Korea’s Prudential Environmental Diplomacy Toward China and Its Policy Effectiveness

In this article, I investigate Korea’s prudential environmental diplomacy with China regarding transboundary fine dust pollution from the perspective of Korea’s disadvantageous position vis-à-vis China due to the ambiguity of pollution responsibilities and geopolitical constraints. Against this backdrop, Korea has tactically exercised prudential environmental diplomacy toward China in dual tracks. First, it has taken a “high-profile” stance in engaging with and socializing China into bilateral and multilateral frameworks and endeavors to align its environmental interests with those of China via scientific and technological cooperation. Second, Korea has undertaken a cautious procedure and is not pressuring China by pursuing legal-binding approaches immediately. I see a “mixed success” of Korea’s environmental engagement with China and appraise Korea’s policy flexibility and pragmatism.