Cyber Security and Middle Power Diplomacy

Abstract

In recent years, South Korea has come to be regarded as an emerging middle power in world politics and thus is expected to play diplomatic roles corresponding to its increased material capabilities, in particular on issues of cyber security. Relying on a network perspective, in this article I deduce a series of structural conditions under which South Korea’s middle power diplomacy is more or less likely on issues of cyber security. Indeed, the network perspective provides a framework to understand the distinct modalities and dynamics of cyber security issues, which I refer to as the “asymmetric internetwork politics.” I examine this from the issue-specific political structure in global cyber security governance and the geopolitical structure generated by the U.S.-China competition. Identifying the structural conditions in the domain, this article explores the possibilities or the dilemma of South Korea’s middle power diplomacy in the cyber security sector. In particular, South Korea should manage three strategies of brokerage, collection, and complement in coping with the inter-network politics of cyber security.