Challenges to the Antarctic Treaty System in the Era of Climate Crisis and Hegemonic Competition: Korea'

Abstract

The Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) has evolved over the past 60 years, beginning with the Antarctic Treaty itself, overcoming various internal and external challenges. However, since the Protocol on Environmental Protection came into effect, the adoption of binding environmental protection measures has been significantly delayed, raising concerns and distrust regarding the governance capacity of the ATS. Amid the global climate crisis, the delay in urgent environmental protection measures for safeguarding the Antarctic environment can be attributed to certain consultative parties exercising their veto power annually. This is rooted in the U.S.-China global rivalry extending to Antarctica, conflicts among consultative parties within the system, and different views held by countries like China and Russia on protection proposals by claimant states whose territorial claims were frozen under the Antarctic Treaty. These factors are destabilizing the foundations of the ATS, heightening fears that the treaty may disband due to external pressures and internal conflicts. In the Ross Sea, where the Republic of Korea's Jang Bogo Station, the United States' McMurdo Station, New Zealand's Scott Base, and Italy's Mario Zucchelli Station are already operational, China established its fifth Antarctic station earlier this year. This development has transformed the Ross Sea into a strategic geopolitical hotspot for competing global powers. With the global climate crisis and China's increasing presence intensifying the region, Korea, which has expanded its Antarctic activities, now faces a critical juncture to reflect on its strategic direction for Antarctic activities that serve both national interests and the advancement of the ATS.