Climate Change, Global Interdependence And Bargaining Leverage: A Classical Realist Critique Of Why South Korea Adopted A Carbon Cap And Trade System

South Korean diplomatic bargaining leverage is enhanced through South Korea acquiring global leadership positions in promoting sustainable development. Global governance trends in addressing the greenhouse gas emission causes of climate change create opportunities for South Korea to benefit in terms of its power capabilities. They include diplomatic bargaining leverage deriving from South Korean representatives’ high profile in supporting global multilateral treaty initiatives and their implementation organizations. South Korea benefits diplomatically from increasing global awareness of political economic interdependence for national sustainable development. Competition for influence by the United States and China in the post-Cold War international environment includes vying for leadership in global sustainable development initiatives. South Korea’s geographic and institutional location at a nexus where US and Chinese focus their competition creates greater opportunities as well as dangers. South Korea aims to direct their competition into global sustainable development promotion with South Korea a leading proponent of these initiatives. As a lesser power, South Korea must accommodate this competition, while seeking to mitigate it to avoid regional and global interdependence from being undermined. This diplomatic bargaining leverage focus facilitates elaboration of the concepts of modernization, networking, hedging and soft-balancing in response to the rise of China