South Korea diversifies oil supply chains amid geopolitical risks, exposing systemic vulnerabilities in global energy security

Indigenous communities in oil-producing regions, such as the Ogoni people in Nigeria or the Waorani in Ecuador, have long opposed fossil fuel extraction on ancestral lands, framing it as a violation of sacred ecosystems and a form of neo-colonialism. Their resistance has been met with state violence and corporate repression, yet their knowledge of sustainable land stewardship offers critical alternatives to extractive economies. The omission of these perspectives in energy security narratives reflects a broader erasure of indigenous sovereignty in global policy debates.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a geopolitical flashpoint since the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran, which installed a Western-aligned monarchy to secure oil flows for global markets. The 1973 oil crisis demonstrated how fossil fuel dependency could be weaponized in geopolitical conflicts, a pattern repeated in subsequent decades with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and sanctions on Iran. South Korea’s current diversification strategy echoes Cold War-era energy security policies, revealing how historical patterns of extraction and dependency persist despite changing global power dynamics.

In contrast to Western-centric narratives of energy security as a technical challenge, many Global South nations view it through the lens of reparative justice, linking oil dependence to colonial legacies and climate debt. East Asian philosophies, such as Japan’s *mottainai* (waste-not-want-not) or Korea’s *jeong* (relational harmony), offer frameworks for reimagining energy systems beyond growth and extraction. However, state-led industrialization in the region has often prioritized GDP growth over these values, creating a cultural dissonance between tradition and modernity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that continued reliance on fossil fuels will push global temperatures beyond 1.5°C, exacerbating extreme weather events that disrupt supply chains. Studies show that oil-dependent economies are more vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, with climate change acting as a multiplier of risk. The scientific consensus on the need for rapid decarbonization is starkly at odds with the short-term energy security strategies pursued by nations like South Korea.

Artists and spiritual leaders in oil-producing regions often depict fossil fuel extraction as a violation of the sacred, using symbols like the Nigerian *Ogoni* struggle’s poetry or the Ecuadorian Amazon’s *Sapara* people’s rituals to resist corporate encroachment. In South Korea, traditional *pansori* performances and Buddhist temple art critique the materialism driving energy insecurity, while K-pop’s global reach could amplify alternative narratives. These creative expressions challenge the dominant narrative of energy as a commodity, framing it instead as a moral and ecological crisis.

Scenario modeling by the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that diversifying oil supply chains without reducing overall demand will only delay the inevitable transition to renewables, increasing long-term economic and climate risks. Alternative futures include regional energy cooperatives, where nations share renewable resources across borders, or degrowth policies that prioritize well-being over GDP growth. The current path risks locking South Korea and its partners into a cycle of geopolitical and ecological instability, with no clear exit strategy.

Marginalized voices—such as climate activists in South Korea’s *Korea Federation for Environmental Movements*, oil-affected communities in the Niger Delta, or Indigenous leaders in Canada’s tar sands—have long warned about the dangers of fossil fuel dependency. Their perspectives are systematically excluded from energy security debates, which privilege corporate and state actors. Amplifying these voices could reveal the true costs of oil dependence, from respiratory diseases in refinery towns to the displacement of Indigenous peoples for pipeline construction.