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.

Polarity in Contemporary International Politics: A Uni-Interpolar Order?

“…South Korea is another Asian country with huge potential to play a major role in international politics. In 2011, South Korea's GDP by Purchasing Power Parity was ranked twelfth in the world by the CIA World Fact book and its GDP per capita at $31,700 was just below Japan's $34,300 (Shim & Flamm, 2012). According to the World Bank, at $1,129,598 trillion, South Korea ranks fifteenth in the world economy (World Bank, 2013).…”

“…According to the World Bank, at $1,129,598 trillion, South Korea ranks fifteenth in the world economy (World Bank, 2013). In 2011, South Korea attained $1 trillion trade volume, a status which had hitherto been achieved by only eight states (Shim & Flamm, 2012). Its major trading partners are China, Japan, EU and the United States in that order.…”

“…Its major trading partners are China, Japan, EU and the United States in that order. South Korea is among the leading countries in a wide range of economic sectors such as heavy industries (especially cars, ships and steels), petrochemical, nuclear and electronic industries (Shim & Flamm, 2012). South Korea is home to some powerful multinational companies such as Samsung, LG, KIA and Hyundai.…”

“…The Asian economic powerhouse only spent 2.7 percent of its GDP to achieve this. According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) the South Korean military maintains 655,000 troops in peacetime, a figure that is more than double the size of Japan's army (Shim & Flamm, 2012). There has been a conscious attempt in recent years to harness the South Korean military towards the projection of its influence beyond Korean immediate environment.…”

“…There has been a conscious attempt in recent years to harness the South Korean military towards the projection of its influence beyond Korean immediate environment. There have been efforts particularly by the administration of President Roh towards the modernisation of the Korean military arsenal by the procurement of sophisticated weapons such as jet fighters F-X, KD-III destroyers and K2 Black Panther tanks (Shim & Flamm, 2012). Given, these capabilities, South Korea is no doubt an important player in the international system.…”