Sub- and trans-national actors in South Korea's island disputes : the cases of Dokdo and Iŏdo
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Asian Affairs: An American Review
Publication Date
1-2017
Volume
44
Issue
1
First Page
9
Last Page
29
Publisher
Routledge
Keywords
Dokdo/Takeshima, Iŏdo/Suyan Rocks, irredentism and nationalism, territorial disputes in Northeast Asia, Two-Level analysis
Abstract
This paper provides a political analysis on two territorial disputes that South Korea has with Japan over Dokdo/Takeshima and with China over Iŏdo/Suyan Rocks, as well as on their implications for the Northeast Asia region, focusing on the roles of sub-state actors and the United States as a third party trans-national actor. It mainly explores why South Koreans consider territorial claims by Japan and China such an affront as to require strident demonstration of ownership, especially since they already exercise effective control over the territories under dispute. It also explores what actions the South Korean government would take in the event of maneuvers or attempted landings by security forces or nationalists/fishing boats from China on Iŏdo or Japan on Dokdo. Employing Robert Putnam's Two Level Game Framework, the paper provides comparative insights on how these cases have been developed to date through interactions between Level I, official negotiators, and Level II, sub- and trans-national actors. The two cases demonstrate that the state is not a unified actor, and non-state actors' nationalistic collective sentiment has played (and will play) a greater role in shaping the directions of (potential) conflicts over Dokdo and Iŏdo.
DOI
10.1080/00927678.2017.1283629
Print ISSN
00927678
E-ISSN
19401590
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2017 Routledge. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Chung, C.-p., & Park, J. B. (2017). Sub- and trans-national actors in South Korea's island disputes: The cases of Dokdo and Iŏdo. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 44(1), 9-29. doi: 10.1080/00927678.2017.1283629.