• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.178-199
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• 2014

Changwon Industrial Complex is commonly framed as the best example of strong initiative of the Korean developmental state. And this explanation has been given in the theoretical frame of 'neo-Weberian accounts' i.e., strongly 'national-territorial' and state-centric terms of the predominant. I argue that a geopolitical economy approach focusing on the historical background of the development of Changwon Industrial Complex will shed light on crucial sociospatial dimensions of the Korean developmental state's industrial complex success. I examine, in particular, the multi-scalar processes through which the changes of the industrial complex building plans for the promotion of machine industry in 1960's have been influenced by the complex and dynamic interactions among social actors acting at diverse geographical scales. I show that the formation of the industrial complex in Korea was more heavily influenced by the interactions, contestations, and collaborations among social actors, acting in and through the state, rather than by the state initiative.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2020

The paper discusses how the new EU Strategy towards Central Asia issued in May 2019 might be analyzed through the lens of the intensely debated transformations from the liberal to a post-liberal international order. The author claims that the EU's normative power is transforming from the post-Cold War predominantly liberal/ value-based approach, with democracy and human rights at its core, to a set of more technical tools and principles of good governance and effective management of public administration. The paper problematizes a nexus between the dynamics of the EU's nascent post-liberalism and the geopolitical challenges of the EU's growing engagement with illiberal regimes, focuses on direct encounters between the post-liberal EU and the illiberal elites in Central Asia, and seeks to find out the impact of these connections upon the EU's international subjectivity. In this context geopolitical dimensions of EU foreign and security policies, along with the specificity of the EU's geopolitical actorship in Central Asia, are discussed.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.145-162
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• 2023

This research investigates how users of Bilibili, a video sharing website based in China have responded to carbon neutrality. By conducting quantitative textual analyses on 3,311 comments on Bilibili using LDA topic extraction and content statistics, this research discovers that: (1) Bilibili users have assigned more weight to geopolitical topics (56.3%) than energy (22.0%) and environmental topics (21.7%). (2) When assessing carbon neutrality, Bilibili users considered geopolitical (53.8%) and energy factors (15.8%) more heavily than factors related to the class (9.2%), economy (8.9%), environment (8.7%), and definition (3.6%). (3) More Bilibili users had negative (64.6%) attitudes towards carbon neutrality, with only a small portion of them expressing positive (26.8%) and neutral (8.6%) attitudes. (4) Negative attitudes towards carbon neutrality were mainly driven by geopolitical concerns about the West's approach to China, other countries' free-riding on China's efforts and the West's manipulation of rules, doubts about the feasibility of energy transition and suspicion of capitalists exploiting consumers through this concept. This research highlights the geopolitical concerns behind the environmental attitudes of Chinese people, deepening our understanding to psychological constructs and crisis sensitivity of Chinese people towards environmental issues.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.143-160
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• 2016

The official development assistance (ODA) accompanies an interstate financial transaction, such as trade, foreign direct investment, and money transfer. ODA policy has designated several purposes. Among them, political purposes have been considered to be the key factors in the regional distribution of foreign aid. If we agree the traditional approach that recognizes ODA as a 'political one', the practice of ODA can be a kind of state geopolitics. This study investigates the construction and characteristics of geopolitical discourses. More specifically, this study pays special attention to the 'practical geopolitics' that is crucial to the policy-making. By analyzing the minutes of the National Assembly Standing Committee, four geopolitical discourses were identified: 'practicing humanities as a developed country', 'providing a role model to developing countries', 'developing new foreign markets' and 'coping with global geopolitics'. These geopolitical discourses have been constructed through the process of justifying the ODA policy to the domestic and international audiences. Constructing discourses on ODA shows the representation of a dichotomous and typical image of developed/developing.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.470-498
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• 2022

Recently, the world has been considering hydrogen energy as the primary energy transition means to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Korea is also promoting a clean hydrogen economy. However, it is necessary to introduce various clean hydrogen from overseas so that the projected demand can not meet the domestically produced. For this study, we conducted the policy comparison approach between countries other than the generally considered technical and economic approaches. The finding proposes the direction of bilateral cooperation for a strategy of securing overseas clean hydrogen from a geopolitical perspective. Germany was a target country for the policy comparison since it has a high proportion of manufacturing, like Korea, and is taking the lead in the renewable-based energy transition policy. According to the survey and analysis of the policy establishment status and new projects of the two countries, Germany is promoting bilateral international cooperation in the hydrogen area with about 33 countries based on 7 types of activities. In comparison, Korea is involved in bilateral cooperation with about 12 countries on relatively few activities. Among the types of bilateral cooperation, R&D cooperation with advanced countries for hydrogen technology was a common activity type. Germany preemptively promotes cooperation for demonstration and commercialization, considering geopolitical means and strengthening manpower training and assistance on policy and regulation to preoccupy the market for the future. Therefore, it is necessary to consider establishing a network of an entire life cycle of supply and demand network that links the future market with securing clean hydrogen considering the geopolitical distribution. To this end, Korea also needs to expand bilateral cooperation countries by activity type, and it seems necessary to seek various geopolitical-based bilateral cooperation and support measures for developing countries to diversify the supply sources of hydrogen.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.311-324
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• 2017

This study has the purpose of geopolitical analysis on the role, function and problem of (trans) frontier park in Southern Africa. Frontier parks in Southern Africa had been used as a buffer zone between colonial empires and British colonial administration during the colonial period and as an interdiction zone of communism and black liberation movement during the apartheid regime, the cold war and the civil war. The ecological transfrontier peace parks in Southern Africa which is integrating the adjacent Frontier parks is utilized as a means of a conflict resolution and peace building after the end of cold war, civil war and apartheid regime, The ecological transfrontier peace parks in Southern Africa is very highly regarded as an effective means for a conflict resolution and peace building. But it is also being criticized for a reproduction of South Africa's politico-economic domination and of a socio-spatial division between racial groups.

• International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.269-279
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• 2024

The study explores the evolving landscape of overseas expansion strategies by Korean corporations, focusing on recent geopolitical tensions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and disruptions in global supply chains. It emphasizes the challenges faced by industries producing high-value products and delves into the concept of "Friend-Shoring" policies in the United States, leading major Korean companies to invest in local semiconductor, battery, and automotive factories. Recognizing the potential fragmentation of Korea's manufacturing sector, the paper introduces the "Mother Factory" strategy as a policy initiative, inspired by Japan's model, to establish core production facilities domestically. The discussion unfolds by examining the cases of major companies in Japan and the United States, highlighting the need for Korea to adopt a mother factory strategy to mitigate risks associated with friend-shoring policies. Inspired by Intel's "Copy Exactly" approach, the paper proposes a Korean mother factory model integrating smart factory technology and digital twin systems. This strategic shift aims to enhance responsiveness to geopolitical challenges and fortify the competitiveness of Korean high-tech industries. Finally, the paper proposes a Korean Mother Factory based on smart factory concepts. The suggested model integrates smart factory technology and digital twin frameworks to enhance responsiveness and fortify competitiveness. In conclusion, the paper advocates for the adoption of a comprehensive Korean Mother Factory model to address contemporary challenges, foster advanced manufacturing, and ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of Korean high-tech industries in the global landscape. The proposed strategy aligns with the evolving dynamics of the manufacturing sector and emphasizes technological advancements, collaboration, and strategic realignment.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.181-188
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• 2024

Amid global geopolitical crises that are heightening tensions worldwide, the importance of national security is being reevaluated. Consequently, South Korea is gaining attention in the global defense market due to its superior technology, competitive pricing, and rapid delivery capabilities. The increasing international demand for defense materials offers opportunities for the development of the domestic defense industry and has the potential to lead to long-term defense strategies and an expansion of exports. In particular, the development of future advanced weapons systems and the expansion of defense exports are likely to be possible through a deep understanding of the international political and economic situation and proactive defense diplomacy. This study analyzes the impact of current global geopolitical crises on Korea's defense industry and presents effective strategies based on these findings, including innovative improvements to defense acquisition systems and the discovery of overseas defense cooperation partners to strengthen defense exports. This strategic approach aims to balance domestic consumption with exports, enhance military strength, and improve the country's standing in the international community. Therefore, efforts are needed to ensure the sustainable growth of the defense industry, enabling South Korea to achieve economies of scale and play a pivotal role in the global defense industry.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.122-142
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• 2016

This paper examines the implications of North Korea's Special Economic Zone (SEZ) strategy since the early 1990s in terms of the shifts in both North Korea's economic system and geopolitical order on the Korean peninsula. Specifically, it analyzes the shifts in North Korea's SEZ policy in three different aspects-North Korea's unique territorial logic, stress on decentralization, and comparison with Chinese reform and opening-up. Based upon this analysis, this paper criticizes a linear approach to understand North Korea's economic transformation from isolation to opening-up, and explores the dynamics of North Korea SEZ strategy in various dimensions. It contends that North Korea's SEZ strategy is neither an inevitable choice from economic difficulty nor an adoption of Chinese model of reform and opening up. Rather this paper focuses on the geopolitical logic and local development imperatives underlying SEZ strategy.

• Acta Via Serica
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.83-104
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• 2022

This article attempts to explain current social perceptions in Mexico about the Silk Road. Based on a critical geopolitics approach, the author analyzes how the idea of the Silk Road is socially constructed in Mexican popular geopolitics, focusing on studying digital mass media between 2013 and 2020. The main research questions are: how is the Silk Road notion constructed in Mexican popular geopolitics and what are the geopolitical implications for Mexico? The article discovers that in Mexico, the idea of the "Silk Road" is profoundly close to the idea of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) given China's geostrategic discourse that constructs the BRI as a "New Silk Road". The article also argues that Mexico's social-political agency to deal with China may be hindered by divergent social perceptions in favor and against the "Silk Road".