The Perspective of Diplomatic Complex Geopolitics in Mid-sized Countries on the Emerging Stage

“Medium-sized Diplomacy on the Emerging Stage”
– By analyzing the cases of mid-sized diplomacy on the “complex stage of tradition and emerging,” Korea’s “mid-sized diplomacy 2.0” seeks the direction to pursue in the future

Against the backdrop of discussions on the transformation of traditional stages such as diplomacy and trade diplomacy, Internet governance in technology and security, space security, climate and forest diplomacy in environmental security, and human rights and refugees in social security were examined

the composition and content of a book

The “Shinheung Stage” used in this book, The term “emerging stage”) means a “new emerging stage,” but it has a complex meaning beyond just a new stage. “Shinheung” is a translation of “emergence” in complex system theory. Emerging or emerging as a conceptual word refers to a phenomenon in which phenomena that were only simple and “disordered” at the microscopic stage develop complex interactions as the amount increases, and furthermore, by increasing interconnection, certain patterns and regularity, or “order,” are revealed at the macroscopic stage. From this point of view, the rise of the emerging stage takes place through a three-step process that crosses the “geopolitical critical point” through “quality phone” and “issue linkage.”

This book deals with eight themes that show the diplomacy of middle-sized countries on the emerging stage from the perspective of complex geopolitics. First, it dealt with alliance diplomacy and trade diplomacy, which are agendas on the traditional stage but have recently been attracting attention as issues of global politics that are undergoing a new transformation. Second, global Internet governance and space security were dealt with as emerging global political issues on the emerging stage against the backdrop of the technology system. Third, we looked at the cases of climate and forest diplomacy and health diplomacy in the environmental field as emerging issues on the emerging stage against the backdrop of the environmental system. Finally, human rights and refugee issues were reviewed as issues on the emerging stage against the backdrop of the social system.

Part 1 ‘Transformation of the Traditional Stage and Diplomacy of Mid-sized Countries’ published two papers dealing with examples of alliance diplomacy and trade diplomacy. Chapter 2, “The Decline of the Liberal World Order?” analyzed the complex geopolitical structure and dynamics of alliance diplomacy formed between the weakening of U.S. hegemony and the growing challenge of China. Chapter 3 “Middle-sized Country Diplomacy on the Emerging Stage: Trade” (Lee Seung-joo) analyzed the medium-sized country diplomacy on the trade stage, which is showing changes as links with various issues in world politics in the 21st century gradually expand and strengthen.

Part 2 “Medium-sized Diplomacy on the Technology and Security Stage” published two papers on mid-sized diplomacy in the field of global Internet governance and international norms for space security. Chapter 4 “Swing Nation Diplomacy in Global Internet Governance: Examples of Brazil, India, and Korea” (Yoo In-tae) deals with the cases of Brazil, India, and Korea, which pursued medium-sized diplomacy with different identities in the complex structure of the global Internet governance process. Chapter 5 “The Issues of the Formation of International Space Security Rules and Korea’s Medium-sized Diplomacy” (Yoo Jun-gu) noted the process of space, one of the representative examples of the traditional stage dominated by powerful diplomacy since the Cold War, emerging as a global political issue. Focusing on the recent complex geopolitical changes in the space sector, it attempted to explore Korea’s diplomatic role as a mid-sized country.

Part 3 “Diplomacy in the Environmental Security Stage” contains two papers dealing with examples of climate and forest diplomacy and health diplomacy. Chapter 6 “Study on Climate and Forest Diplomacy in Mid-sized Countries for the Establishment of REDD+” (Kim Sung-jin) deals with the complex geopolitical structure created by linking climate change and forest absorption source issues in the environmental field and diplomacy in mid-sized countries. Chapter 7 “Health Diplomacy in the Emerging Stage” (Cho Han-seung) deals with cases of global governance in the health sector, which is establishing itself as an emerging stage in global politics in the 21st century. In particular, it focused on the complex structure of health, security, and development cooperation formed by various private and non-state actors as well as state actors.

Part 4 “Diplomacy in the Middle East on the Social Security Stage” published two papers on human rights and refugee issues. Chapter 8 “U.S.-China Relations and Human Rights: Response Strategies and Possibilities of East Asian Countries” (Kim Heon-joon) analyzed the complex geopolitical nature of the human rights issue, which has recently emerged as a sharp issue between the U.S. and China. Chapter 9, “The Refugee Problem and Diplomacy of Mid-sized Countries: Significance and Limitations” (Shinhwa) explored the complex geopolitical nature of the refugee problem as a representative emerging security issue on the emerging stage in the 21st century. Recently, as seen in Europe, the problem of refugees, which is increasing quantitatively, is emerging as a geopolitical phenomenon as the threat is amplified in connection with other political and social issues. Chapter 9 compares and reviews the cases of Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Japan in response to the complex structure of these refugee problems and derives implications for Korea.

Professor Kim Sang-bae (Ministry of Political Science and Diplomacy at Seoul National University), who compiled the book, said, “The task of diplomacy with mid-sized countries on the emerging stage is a controversial issue as it occupies the status of a new mid-sized country, even if it was not a national key in the past.” In this process, it is very important to have a “situation intelligence” that properly recognizes the changing structural environment and a “location intelligence” that determines one’s position in such a structure.”

Chapter 1 Diplomacy of Mid-sized Countries on the Emerging Stage: A View of Complex Geopolitics_Kim Sang-bae

Part 1 Transformation of Traditional Stage and Diplomacy in Mid-sized Countries

Chapter 2 Decline of the Liberal World Order?: The weakening of American hegemony and the pursuit of a rule-based order in middle-class democracies_Jung Sung-chul

Chapter 3 Diplomacy of Mid-sized Countries on the Emerging Stage: Trade_Lee Seung-joo

Part II Middle-Eastern Diplomacy on the Technology and Security Stage

Chapter 4 Diplomacy of Swing Countries in Global Internet Governance: Examples of Brazil, India, and Korea_Yoo In-tae

Chapter 5 Issues in the Formation of International Standards for Space Security and Korea’s Diplomacy in Mid-sized Countries_Yu Jun-gu

Part III Middle-Eastern Diplomacy on the Environmental Security Stage

Chapter 6 Midland Climate for REDD+ Establishment?Forest Diplomacy Study_Kim Sungjin

Chapter 7 Health Diplomacy in Mid-sized Countries on the Emerging Stage_Cho Han-seung

Part IV Middle-Eastern Diplomacy on the Social Security Stage

Chapter 8 U.S.-China Relations and Human Rights: Response Strategies and Possibilities of East Asian Countries_Kim Heon-jun

Chapter 9 Refugee Issues and Diplomacy in Mid-sized Countries: Significance and Limitations_Ethnicization