South Korea stuck Between Global Ambitions and Regional Realities

TODAY

11 August 2016

Sarah Teo

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se once again defended the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) missile system on the Korean peninsula in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in late July.

Mr Wang responded that Seoul’s decision had “harmed the foundation of mutual trust” between the two countries.

South Korea has achieved remarkable successes in its pursuit of “responsible middle-power diplomacy”.

It has been recognised as a leader, bridge, agenda setter, and activist on the global stage — roles commonly associated with middle powers.

Yet, as Mr Wang’s comments show, Seoul has been less successful in its regional diplomacy.

… Sarah Teo is a PhD student at the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney, and an Associate Research Fellow with the Regional Security Architecture Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

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