- Lecture Title: Status Politics: The Changing Meanings and Practices of South Korea's Middle Power Diplomacy

- Lecturer:  Prof. Dr. Yong Wook Lee (Department of Political Science and International Relations, Korea University). Yong Wook Lee is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University (Seoul, Korea). His research examines East Asian financial regionalism and the financial diplomacy of China, Japan, and Korea. Lee is the author, editor, and translator of eight books and has published numerous articles and book chapters in academic journals and edited volumes. His recent publications include “Status Politics: The Changing Meanings and Practices of South Korea’s Middle Power Diplomacy (Global Policy, 2026),” “RMB Internationalization and Research Agenda for Currency Network Expansion (Review of International Political Economy, 2025), and “Status Quo Crisis Again? RMB Challenges and Dollar Hegemony (New Political Economy, 2024).”  Lee holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Southern California. He held visiting positions at the University of Tokyo, Tüebingen University (Germany), and Korea National Defense University. Before coming to Korea University, Lee previously taught at the University of Oklahoma and Brown University.

- Lecture Abstract: Why do some states engage in so-called middle power diplomacy? Conventional middle power scholarship does not adequately explain this question because the logical premise underlying its definition of “middle powers” is either inconsequential or circular. Building on theoretical insights from status politics, I argue that a state's pursuit of middle power diplomacy is inextricably linked to status considerations within the hierarchy of international standing. I offer a theoretical framework that captures the subjective and intersubjective dimensions of why and how a state formulates and reformulates middle power diplomacy in particular ways over time. Empirically, I examine the emergence and evolution of South Korea's middle power diplomacy over the past two decades. I show how the government's differing conceptions, understandings, and reflections of middle power diplomacy have informed, shaped, and transformed its diplomatic practices.

- Date & Time: Thursday, 25 June 2026, 14:00 – 16:00

- Venue: -1.2009 großer Hörsaal (UG), Fabeckstr. 23/25, 14195 Berlin

- Language: English

- If you have questions regarding the event, please contact Seung Hwan Ryu (seunghwan.ryu@fu-berlin.de)