Publication

This paper looks at how Southeast Asian countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam - view South Korea's rise to middle power status. It argues that Southeast Asia generally views South Korea as an emerging middle power, with its role largely confined to the economic and cultural sectors. The authors also explain that, although South Korea is perceptibly absent from Southeast Asia’s geostrategic calculus, its perceived neutrality (despite being a US ally) is seen to work to its advantage in its pursuit of middle power status.