Rising South Korea: A Minor Player or a Regional Power?

Abstract

South Korea's rising status in regional and global affairs has received much attention in recent years. But in academic, media and policy debates South Korea is usually regarded as a mere middle power that, due to its geopolitical situation, has only limited leeway in its foreign policy. Accordingly, it must constantly maneuver between its larger neighbors:China, Japan and Russia. However, this perspective neglects the fact that the same geopolitical constraint also applies to other states in the region. No country can easily project its power over others. We use the concept of "regional power" as a template to discuss South Korea's rising stature in regional and global politics. We argue that Seoul seems quite capable of keeping up with other assumed regional powers. Hence, we not only provide a novel account of South Korea's foreign policy options but also go beyond current approaches by asking about the (undetermined) possibilities for Seoul's regional relations.

South Korea as a Middle Power in East Asia?

“…A major one refers to geographic boundaries. While regional powers project according to the parameters of their regional location, middle powers are related to the position they have in the global hierarchy (Shim and Flamm 2013). However, the social considerations that are part of these concepts cannot be denied.…”

“…However, the social considerations that are part of these concepts cannot be denied. A regional power can be ultimately defined by a series of qualities the candidate state should have: boundaries in a regional context 2 (territorial, economic, cultural, and political); leadership aspirations; material capacity (economic, military, and technological) to support their aspirations; influence in the regional/global agenda; and acknowledgment from other states (Shim and Flamm 2013).…”