From Middle Power to Pivot Power: Korea as an Arctic Observer in the Age of Eurasia

• Published in: Pacific Focus
• Main Author: Watson, Iain
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2016
• Subjects: Political Science and International Relations; Sociology and Political Science; Arctic; Pivot
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pafo.12079; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fpafo.12079; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/pafo.12079

Abstract Whilst identification of Korea's Arctic issue agenda and motives has been established, there is little examination as to determining why certain issues and partnerships are being developed at certain points in the context of regional geopolitical shifts. I argue that Korea's role in the Arctic represents a shift in Korea's middle power strategy from bridge nation to pivot nation. Korea's current Arctic strategy links to a wider transcontinental strategy. As a result, conventional middle power criteria are being challenged by a strategy based on network centrality rather than “middle” structural location or resource concentration. This shift represents not just “middle power” leverage but opens potentially different understandings and expectations over what counts as middle power leverage.