> if South Korea stops all cooperation with the EU tomorrow

That doesn't happen between democracies and hasn't for generations, except for one democracy recently. I don't know that it happens between any significant economies, outside of wars (when and where has it happened?), except one recently. Trade is reliable, despite the nationalist attempt to use FUD. That's how countries get access to the best products and sell their best products.

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holmesworcester 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It does introduce a dependency on South Korea's ability to defend its democracy, though.

	▲	throwaway85825 23 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		It was very funny watching the South Korean legislators holding off the Korean seals by barricading the doors with chairs.
	▲	mmooss 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		The plant will keep running regardless of events on the other side of Eurasia - during a war South Korea would want the revenue, especially from a locale safe from attack. If SK lost - an awful outcome - it wouldn't be sudden.

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jbxntuehineoh an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> except one recently

> Trade is reliable

"reliable except when it isn't" is just a convoluted way of saying "unreliable"

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jameslk 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> That doesn't happen between democracies and hasn't for generations, except for one democracy recently.

Neoliberalism and globalization is what guaranteed this. That is, Pax Americana. The US thought it was a great idea to become the reserve currency of the world, and became a net importer to spread the dollar. The dollar hegemony gave the US great influence and it defended it with its military. Becoming a net importer hollowed out the US industrial base as it moved overseas, which was fine until China speedran owning large parts of the industrial production and exportation. They also very quickly moved up the ranks of economic and geopolitical sway.

Now the US is ditching globalization for more mercantilist policies. That means the US will be less influential in a multi-polar world, as it can no longer strongarm so easily through the dollar. Trade will become more closed off as other countries rush to do the same now that they are less supported by the US military and economic influence and need to defend themselves more.

Thus, I wouldn’t discount the possibility that the EU stops cooperating as much with SK in the future

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dnautics 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> "except one recently"

russia and {ukraine, georgia, etc}?

	▲	mmooss 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Assuming we're talking about all countries, not only democracies: I qualified it with, 'short of war', which excludes Russia. That leaves only one that I know of.