JANG Ji-Hyang is a research fellow and the director of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Center at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Jang has taught comparative politics, Middle East politics, and political economy of development at Seoul National University, Ewha Woman’s University, and the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her research primarily focuses on the relationship between democracy, capitalism, and globalization in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Muslim World using historical and rational choice institutionalism. Her recent publications include: “Islamic Fundamentalism,”International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2008), “Weak State, Weak Civil Society: The Politics of State-Society Relations in the Arab World,” The Journal of International and Area Studies (2009), “The Democratic Implications of Capitalism in the Era of Globalization,” Review of International Area Studies(2010), and “Contingency and Diversity in Revolution: How Can We Explain the Middle East Spring? (in Korean),” Asan Issue Brief (2011). She has also recently published a Korean translation of Fawaz Gerges’ book, Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy (Asan Institute 2011). Dr. Jang received a B.A. in Turkish Studies and an M.A. in Political Science from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin.
The Role of a Middle Power South Korea in Iran, Syria, and Egypt
This article examines how South Korean foreign policy deals with Iran, Syria, and Egypt, with the overarching argument that because South Korea is pushing to build its middle power presence, it should clearly articulate its position on key security issues in the Middle East. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, South Korea should support international norms such as nonproliferation, humanitarian protection, and democracy. Unless the South Korean government consistently upholds these norms, it will encounter setbacks in finding international support in its dealings with North Korea.
