City Networks as Tools of City Diplomacy – the Case of Seoul

Abstract

Confronting global challenges and wanting to make profits out of globalization, cities are becoming more active in global politics. They conduct city diplomacy, establishing bilateral connections with “sister cities” or through transnational city networks. In this context, the behavior of so-called global cities is fascinating because they have enough resources to be very influential on the world stage. The capital city of South Korea is one of these global cities. Seoul positions itself as a global player that is actively involved in many regions around the world. The Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to enhance its status in the international community as a global city by engaging in city networks, hosting its headquarters, and trying to influence other members of organizations. The phenomenon of using a city network as an instrument in the city public diplomacy toolbox has never been described within literature. This paper’s main aim is to conceptualize the instrumental use of a city network by a global city to promote its interests. We will analyze the case of Seoul, a member of 25 different city networks. Two of them, CityNet and World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), have headquarters in the South Korean capital city and are used as tools in Seoul’s public diplomacy. Based on interviews with city officials and networks officers, we will try to reconstruct the model of dependencies between the city and the networks it hosts. It will lead to answering the question of how the global city can use the network as a tool of its diplomacy. This paper will contribute to the academic discussion on city diplomacy instruments and help understand the internal policy-making process inside city networks that determine their actions in international relations.