World Politics of Networks: from Metaphor to Analysis

Seoul National University Unification Studies Research Series – 9

Authors: Kim Sangbae, Ha Young-Sun

Book Introduction

This is the ninth publication of the Unification Studies Research Support Project, which began in 2003 at Seoul National University. It is a collection of research papers and other materials that can be used in the restoration of a unified Korea. Recent changes in world politics call for setting nation-states as major node actors and for paying attention to the links between them beyond the planar idea of existing international politics. The book contains theoretical and empirical research that utilizes recently-emerged network theories, which have been attracting attention in the fields of natural and social sciences as well as international politics. The concept of the “network” is one of the most talked-about terms in recent academic circles and includes international politics.

The rise of various networks is one of the most representative features of recent changes in world politics. The book shows the process of existing international political actors forming networks with each other or inherently networked actors entering the new arena of world politics. Under these circumstances, non-state actors such as multinational corporations and global civil society organizations are gaining strength and even pursing the network strategy of national actors who have traditionally played leading roles in modern international politics. The book attempts to use the network theory perspective to present new ideas and a concrete path of research that can be followed to explore the problem of the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

Publication Date: 2011