Coping with China’s rise

Abstract

The new emerging hegemonic rivalry between China and the US has placed South Korea in serious adjustment dilemma. Being sandwiched between the two giants, Seoul has been trying to muddle through their conflicting interests. This article aims to explore how China’s rise and rivalry with the US have influenced Seoul’s domestic politics and resulted in policy choices, through the examination of three cases: THAAD (the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense System), the AIIB (Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank), and the South China Sea. Our findings show that South Korea’s adjustment behavior has varied across issue areas. On the issue of security, the Seoul government has taken a pro-American balancing strategy by allowing the deployment of the US THAAD, whereas it has chosen a reluctant pro-China bandwagoning position by joining the AIIB. And it has taken a rather neutral position on the South China Sea dispute. Such variations can be explained by the changing interests and underlying domestic politics and leadership choices in South Korea.