South Korea's Early Efforts to Accede to the GATT During the Korean War

This text details South Korea’s little-known first attempt to join the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) during the Torquay Round in the early 1950s, sixteen years before its successful 1967 accession. Remarkably, these diplomatic efforts occurred even as the Korean War raged. With strong support from the United States, South Korea secured exceptionally favorable terms, requiring only 31 tariff concessions while gaining most-favored-nation benefits on thousands of items from other members. The accession was approved, needing only a signature on the Torquay Protocol to be formalized. However, citing the difficult wartime situation, the South Korean government repeatedly requested postponements. Ultimately, the final deadline expired in 1953 without a signature, and the opportunity was lost, allowing rival Japan to accede twelve years earlier. Despite this failure, the determination shown by a small group of diplomats laid a crucial foundation for the nation’s eventual, successful entry into the global trade system.