A KEY PARTNER ONLY NOW? THE PRESENT-CENTREDNESS IN KOREA'S VIEWS OF ITS ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA

Common public narratives in South Korea note that "Southeast Asia has recently emerged as its key economic partner." Yet, these accounts are typically presented only with recent economic statistics and are largely devoid of context or nuance. In particular, they lack consideration of historical references, creating the impression that Korea-Southeast Asia ties are only a "recent" development. This "presentist" tendency is not only ahistorical in itself, but it may also produce a misleading appreciation of South Korea's relations with Southeast Asia. By reviewing statistical information relevant to Southeast Asia's economic importance to South Korea, particularly in trade and foreign direct investment, this article shows that SE Asia became Korea's top economic partner at a much early point in time. It also discusses the factors that may have contributed to the popularity of such a presentist view in the public conscience.