South Korea Rejected “Honorary White”

During apartheid, South Africa used “honorary white” status to give select East Asians privileges it normally reserved for whites, largely to keep trade and diplomacy moving. When South Africa offered that status to South Koreans during talks in 1961, South Korea refused to play along and rejected the arrangement. South Korea then cut off relations with South Africa and kept full ties frozen until 1992, when apartheid ended and normal diplomatic relations resumed.

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