Shrimps between Whales or Small but Piquant Peppers?: Foreign Policy Choices of Korea and Poland

Abstract

Recognizing that few scholars have explored the foreign policy of non-major powers, in this paper, we explore the patterns of non-major powers' foreign policy through a historical comparison of Korea and Poland. Despite substantial differences, the modern histories of Korea and Poland share significant similarities due mainly to their geographic locations between two great powers: Korea between China and Japan, and Poland between Germany and Russia. Their unfavorable locations have constantly forced the two nations to adjust and accommodate to changing external environments they cannot control. Through this comparative case study of Korea and Poland, we also highlight the limitations of the existing realist approach in explaining foreign policy behaviors of non-major powers.