A Study On The Role Of Diplomatic And Security Think Tank In The Foreign Policy Decision-making Of Moon Jae-in Administration(2017-2020)

As the “outside brain” of the government,the “thinker” of the masses,the “pool”of the talents,think tanks are a major source of knowledge innovation,playing an irreplaceable role in the formation and development of South Korea’s foreign policy decisions.After democratization,Korea’s diplomatic policymakers have diversified,creating a diplomatic decision-making system,which includes the president-centered policy circle,think tanks-centered supplementary circle,and the public opinion circle.The think tanks play an important role in linking decision-making circle with the public,which provides a new perspective on South Korean diplomatic decision-making process and understanding of South Korean foreign policy.This will help us to improve our understanding of South Korea’s internal political operation and foreign policy-making mechanism,which increase our policy choices in foreign affairs,expand our interactive space with South Korea,and finally promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,and achieve a better bilateral relationship.First of all,this thesis introduces the current development situation of South Korean diplomatic and security think tanks,mainly focusing on the government-backed think tanks represented by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security,Korean Institute for National Unification,Institute for National Security Strategy and the private think tanks represented by Sejong Institute,Asan Institute for Policy Studies,East Asia Institute,and then summarize the features of diplomatic and security think tanks in South Korea.Then the foreign policy decision-making mechanism of Moon Jae-in administration is the point and this part primarily explains the influence of major government agencies,national assembly and political parties,civic groups as well as diplomatic and security think tanks,depicting the overall framework of Korean diplomatic decision-making.Especially the influence of think tanks on Korea’s foreign policy decision-making is based on three ways,specifically,which consists of the relationship between think tanks and decision-making circles,the research results of think tanks,and the cooperation with the media.Lastly,four cases will be analyzed to exam the role of think tanks in different situations: the relaxation and interaction between the two Koreas in 2018,the deterioration of the relationship between South Korea and Japan in 2019,North Korea’s bombing of the liaison office between the two Koreas in 2020,and Moon Jae-in administration’s national security strategy,which display the role of Korea’s think tanks in foreign affairs and security policy making,from short-term crisis resolution to medium-term changes in bilateral relations to long-term foreign and security policymaking,in order to deepen the understanding of the role of diplomatic and security think tanks in foreign policy decision-making of Moon Jae-in administration.