The Concept of Middle Power and the Case of the ROK: A Review

In recent years, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has often been called a middle power (MP) state in both political and academic circles. This chapter outlines the development of established MP perspectives, examines how ROK governments have used the concept, and explores the applicability of existing MP perspectives to the ROK through examining the ROK's political context and features. It also investigates whether the existing discourses on the concept of MP both in the field of foreign policy and among International Relations (IR) academics are appropriate for discussing the ROK's foreign affairs. The author's contention with this research is that it explains the ROK case on the basis of existing MP perspectives. The chapter also argues that in order to be an analytical tool for ROK foreign affairs, the concept of MP should consider such realist factors as security and power relationships with big neighbours as its main determinants. Keywords:foreign policy; International Relations (IR); Middle Power (MP); Republic of Korea (ROK)