Korea Stronger in Hard Power Than Soft Power

Hansun Foundation for Freedom & Happiness has issued the 2009 Hansun Total National Power (TNP) Index. This is the first in a series of articles to dissect all aspects involving national power, and present tasks and strategies the nation should tackle to sharpen its competitiveness. ― ED.

By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter

What is national power? It could be defined as a country's capability to accomplish what it seeks to achieve. More specifically, it is the nation's ability to practice its policies and strategies to achieve its long-term goals and visions by inducing cooperation and support from other countries through whatever steps, whether by enforcement or persuasion.

Since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), South Korea has achieved rapid industrialization through phased economic development programs and carried through democratization and other life-or-death missions ― a typical rags-to-riches tale.

The changes the country has witnessed over the last six decades are more than remarkable. Between 1948 and 2008, gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.7 percent annually on average, with the size of the economy expanding 746 times over that period. Per capita GDP surged over 300 times to about $20,000 from $67. These are only a fraction of the phenomenal changes it has attained.

After this compressed growth in a relatively short period of time, the country now stands at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges ahead. In the 21st century characterized by globalization and internationalization, South Korea's fate depends on how well it will cope with its homework and how well it will map out and carry through visions and action plans.

Wholly Different Approach

The problem is that the tasks that lie ahead are far different from those in the past. They are so complex that it's impossible to even find clues leading to solutions for these missions.

Methods that were effective in solving problems during the industrialization period are not helpful. Rather, they are obstacles standing in the way of resolution. This is true not only for Korea but also for other countries in the world as a whole.

Each nation has yet to find the correct answers to the questions posed by these tasks. This also means that all are standing at a new ― same ― starting point, regardless of their scores so far. They are thrown into a wholly different game, and must play different hands. Those who attempt to apply the same measures they used before, or stick to outdated methods, will remain underdogs.

On the other hand, it means a seed of new opportunity is sprouting for South Korea.

``At this critical juncture, it's very significant to take a close look into the country's TNP and compare it with that of other nations,'' says Prof. Hwang Sung-don of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Hwang said that the correct diagnosis of the nation's TNP is a crucial ingredient to establish the national agenda.

``Only when we have an appropriate TNP can we set up ideal development strategies and push them forward effectively,'' he said. Prof. Hwang is the dean of the Graduate School of Politics, Government and Communication at the university and also a senior member of the Hansun Foundation.

Systematic analysis of TNP is essential for the nation to figure out its weak and strong points. At the same time, it will reveal areas it will do better in, or those fields it should discard. Based on this scrutiny, it will be able to chart long-term strategies and produce actions plans to press ahead with step-by-step strategies.

Compared to the past, areas that should be given greater attention have become different. In the era of the Cold War, a country's power to force other nations to do what it wanted was the most crucial factor determining its overall power. But this no longer works these days.

In this era of globalization and information in which capital and labor are freely exchanged across borders, the diplomatic and cultural capability to pull off voluntary cooperation from other nations is far more important.

Globalization has changed regional development in profound ways, and the new paradigm for success involves innovative strategies.

The only way to compete globally is to think regionally ― across country lines laid down for a different era.

On top of strong national power, the capability to use power in a smart way is also important in this information and telecommunication era. Smart power is central to reinvigorating the nation's alliances, while reaching out to new partners as it works to confront shared international challenges bigger than any one country.

Only through the effective integration of all the tools of national power can South Korea hope to achieve its broader objectives of prosperity going forward.

Total Power Rankings

The Hansun Foundation selected G20 nations for its research on the comparison of 2009 TNP indexes _ South Korea ranked 13th. The total power index is the result of a computation of 13 variables covering the economy, defense, diplomacy, education, technology and culture.

The United States ranked first, claiming top position in seven categories. Trailing by a large margin were China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Hansun's rankings show wide differences with the standings of the IMD World Competitiveness Year Book 2008. South Korea's global competitiveness ranking fell two notches to 31st among 55 countries, with the setback attributed to inefficiency in the government sector and low quality education. The sliding ranking shows that the government has only been talking; doing little to sharpen the country's competitive edge.

The gap in rankings between the two institutes reflects different categories used for the measurement of national power and competitiveness.

Hansun's report illustrated that Korea is stronger in ``hard power'' than ``soft power.'' The TNP is an integration of hard and soft power. Hard power encompasses natural resources, economic power, sciences, technology and information. In contrast, soft power is the combination of governance, political power, diplomacy, culture, credit standing and the capability how to cope with economic changes.

Maximum national power cannot go beyond the level of economic power. Taking this into consideration, Hansun's study indicates that South Korea should put greater focus on fostering the power of science and technology, education and defense. At the same time, to further strengthen it, the country should reinvigorate the political, environmental and social capital arenas.

chojh@koreatimes.co.kr