ABSTRACT
In a survey of G-20 nations published in The Chosun Ilbo, the Hansun Foundation ranked South Korea as 13th in the world in terms of national power, the ability to obtain what a country wants in international affairs. South Korea ranked 9th in hard power resources defined in terms of military and economic capabilities, but performed more poorly in soft power, ranking 12th. In the words of the paper:
State of the art factories, high-tech weapons, advanced information communications infrastructure are the key components that a country must have for a stronger international competitiveness. However, for these “hard power” ingredients to become true engines to propel the country’s growth and prosperity, they must be backed by more sophisticated and highly efficient “soft power” that runs the hardware. Unfortunately, South Korea is relatively weak in soft power.
