Asan in the News

2014MAY30

Jang Ji-Hyang [Middle East Institute] The Role of a Middle Power South Korea in Iran, Syria, and Egypt

  • Issue/Region :
    Middle Power/Middle East and Africa
  • Expert :
    Jang Ji-Hyang / Center for Regional Studies

North and South Korean flags

2014-05-30

Jang Ji-Hyang [Middle East Institute] The Role of a Middle Power South Korea in Iran, Syria, and Egypt

On May 23, 2014, the Middle East-Asia Project at the Middle East Institute published an op-ed by Dr. Jang Ji-Hyang, Research Fellow and head of the Middle East and North Africa Program. Titled “The Role of a Middle Power South Korea in Iran, Syria, and Egypt,” the article was part of MAP’s May edition on Korea-Middle East relations.

In the article, Dr. Jang examines how South Korean foreign policy deals with Iran, Syria, and Egypt, with the overarching argument that because South Korea is pushing to build its middle power presence, it should clearly articulate its position on key security issues in the Middle East. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Dr. Jang argues that South Korea should support international norms such as nonproliferation, humanitarian protection, and democracy. Unless the South Korean government consistently upholds these norms, it will encounter setbacks in finding international support in its dealings with North Korea.

For more on the Middle East-Asia Project, please click here.

About Experts

Jang Ji-Hyang
Jang Ji-Hyang

Center for Regional Studies

Dr. JANG Ji-Hyang is a Principal Fellow and director of the Center for Regional Studies at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Dr. Jang served as a policy advisor on Middle East issues to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2012-2018). Previously, Dr. Jang taught comparative and Middle East politics at Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Ewha Woman’s University, and the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her research interests include political economy of the Middle East and North Africa, political Islam, comparative democratization, terrorism, and state-building. Dr. Jang is the author of numerous books and articles, including The Essential Guide to the Middle East (Sigongsa 2023 in Korean), The Arab Spring: Will It Lead to Democratic Transitions?(with Clement M. Henry (eds.), Palgrave Macmillan 2013), “Disaggregated ISIS and the New Normal of Terrorism” (Asan Issue Brief 2016), “Islamic Fundamentalism” (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences 2008) and a Korean translation of Fawaz Gerges’ Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy (Asan Institute 2011). Dr. Jang received a B.A. in Turkish studies and M.A. in political science from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Texas at Austin.