Since 9/11, fragile states have become a key issue in the area of international security and development. Despite the absence of internationally agreed definitions of fragility, consensus on the interconnectedness of the development, security and governance challenges commonly facing fragile states has been formed. Against these backdrops, this paper examines the particular challenges of development cooperation in the fragile contexts and furthers its research on Korea’s ODA disbursement to key fragile partners such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The main argument of the paper is that Korea’s assistance to its fragile partners has been rather fragmented and poorly coordinated in reflection of problems in its overall ODA performance. Absence of an strategic policy framework for the engagement with fragile states and lack of whole of government approaches are main contributors to such a fragmented and uncoordinated performance. Unconducive policy environments prompted by sharp split of public opinion over Korea’s engagement with fragile partners and policy objective motivated by its needs to strengthen the alliance with the US exacerbated the problem. It also questions the suitability of development cooperation as an appropriate tool to address complex problems of fragile states. The paper concludes by puting forward some policy suggestions to improve Korea’s engagement with fragile states, such as drafting integrated policy paper, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and considering the possible options of mixed instruments of ODA and PKO for resolving fragile states issues.
Ⅰ. Introduction
Ⅱ. Definition of Fragility
Ⅲ. Major Challenges for Development Cooperation in Fragile States
Ⅳ. Korea’s ODA to Fragile States: Current Status and Major Features
Ⅴ. Conclusion: A Way Forward for Korea’s Development Cooperation for Fragile States