Abstract
Since its advent in the 1950s, South Korean social science research on Africa has grown in scope and scale. As political and economic environments evolved over time, research too adapted to meet the demands of the time. Beginning with research focused on diplomacy and political factors during the Cold War, South Korea’s researchers transitioned to increasing their focus on economic factors and Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Africa. This study used bibliometric analysis to analyze common keywords in research sources from the 1950s–1960s, 1970s–1980s, and 1990s–2010s. The results of this analysis led to the development of cluster maps, in which terms were grouped by frequency of occurrence and their relationship to one another. An examination of these clusters can easily depict the research trends in South Korea according to era, thereby showing the evolution of research over time as well as providing a basis for the direction of future research on Africa.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
In the Netherlands, Abbink (2001) analyzed academic research processes for research on Africa, examining the period from the beginning of the colonial expansion in the sixteenth century to the twentieth century. In the UK, Kirk-Greene (2002) examined changes in research topics from 1926, the year of the establishment of the International African Institute, to 2002. Similar studies dealing with the origins, development, and status of research on Africa were conducted in Portugal (Nobrega 2002), France (Coquery 2002), the USA (Page 2002), and Belgium (Deslaurier 2003).
- 2.
According to Kim and Yang (2012), four articles about Africa were printed by the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper between 1920 and 1930. In one article dated 8 December 1924, a country in Africa was reported to be ‘dominated by women with a lot of gold, fighting against each other’. On 25 October 1925, it was reported that some explorers in Africa discovered a ‘land of small people’. Further, African articles were published following the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, as the relationship between Europe and Africa became an international issue.
- 3.
The South Korean government focused its diplomatic efforts on gaining support for UN recognition as the sole legitimate government on the Korean peninsula, while North Korea endeavored to move inter-Korean issues out of the General Assembly, deeming the Assembly unfair and unacceptable due to the leadership of the USA. In 1957, the 11th General Assembly passed a resolution to hold a nationwide Korean election under the UN auspices. However, North Korea refused to acknowledge the resolution, asserting that Korean elections should be held only by the Korean people rather than being managed by the UN (Korean Institute for National Unification 2011).
- 4.
The Hallstein Doctrine formed the bases of West Germany’s foreign policy from 1955 to the mid-1960s. According to this doctrine, the West German government refused to engage in diplomatic relations with any government that recognized East Germany as a legitimate nation, since West Germany claimed that title for itself. For more information on the Hallstein Doctrine, see Brzezinski, Z., & Griffith, W. E. (1961: 642–654). The Rhee government not only adopted this doctrine to a tee, but took the policy further, in that neutral states, which acknowledged both North and South Korea, were automatically classified as communist and therefore ineligible to conduct trade or communicate with the South Korean government.
- 5.
The Non-Aligned Movement is rooted in a 1955 meeting, held in Bandung of Indonesia, by 29 Asian and African states, the two continents joined together for the first time to represent themselves as the ‘Third World’ (Gupta 1992). Since the first meeting in Bandung, Indonesia, Third World nations have moved to actively participate in international society, while refusing to ally with either the USA or the Soviet Union, based on shared colonial experience and ‘weak country’ identity. Following the official launch of the Non-Aligned Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1961, the number of participating countries rose to 74 in the mid-1970s, constituting half of the United Nations, and making the organization an influential target for South Korean diplomacy.
- 6.
As an Example, North Korea established diplomatic ties with the socialist government of Somalia in 1970 for ideological reasons, providing military training to the Somali army. This support was intended to assist Somalia in its conflict with Ethiopia—a further reason for North Korean support, considering that Ethiopia participated with UN troops against North Korea in the Korean War. However, after the collapse of the pro-American regime in Ethiopia and the establishment of a socialist regime, North Korea also provided support to Ethiopia (Ododa 1985). North Korea’s military support continued into the 1980s, and in the early 1980s, Zimbabwe was also provided with military support totaling approximately 16.3 million USD and included weapons, equipment, and military training (Chitiyo and Rupiya 2005).
- 7.
Under to the 2015 Framework Act, Article 8.2.3, the South Korean government outlined specific strategies for each priority partner country for ODA maximization. Out of 24 countries, 7 countries in Africa were selected as priority partner countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and Tanzania.
References
Abbink, G. J. (2001). African Studies in the Netherlands: A Brief Survey. African Research & Documentation, 8.
Brzezinski, Z., & Griffith, W. E. (1961). Peaceful Engagement in Eastern Europe. Foreign Affairs, 39(4), 642–654.
Byun, M. (1970). Female Status and Role: Six Cases of East Africa. Journal of Law and Political Science, 13(70.2), 194–201. (In Korean).
Chae, J. (2014). A Study on the New Direction of Korea’s Energy Diplomacy. The Journal of Political Science and Communication, 17(1), 77–98. (In Korean).
Chitiyo, K., & Rupiya, M. (2005). Tracking Zimbabwe’s Political History: The Zimbabwe Defence Force from 1980–2005. In Evolutions and Revolutions: A Contemporary History of Militaries in Southern Africa (pp. 331–363). Pretoria: Institute of Security Studies.
Cho, W. (2012). Korean Research Trends in African Studies. Asia Review, 2(2), 129–148. (In Korean).
Choi, H., & Choi, C. (2012). A Study on the Resource Development and Entry Strategies in North-Africa Maghreb Area. Journal of International Trade & Commerce, 8(1), 95–118. (In Korean).
Connell, D., & Smyth, F. (1998). Africa’s New Bloc. Foreign Affairs, 77, 80–94.
Coquery, C. (2002). De l’“africanisme” vu de France : Le point de vue d’une historienne. Paris: Gallimard.
Deslaurier, C. (2003). Afrique & histoire: revue internationale, 1, 223–234.
Disney, N. (1977). South Korean Workers in the Middle East. MERIP Reports, 61, 22–26.
Do, J. (2017). South Korean Debates on Policy Alterations towards Neutral and Communist Countries in the 1960s. Korean and World Politics, 33(4), 59–90. (In Korean).
van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2007). VOS: A New Method for Visualizing Similarities Between Objects. In Advances in Data Analysis (pp. 299–306). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
van Eck, N., & Waltman, L. (2009). Software Survey: VOS viewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538.
Gupta, A. (1992). The Song of the Nonaligned World: Transnational Identities and the Reinscription of Space in Late Capitalism. Cultural Anthropology, 7(1), 63–79.
Han, S. (1964). Nationalism in Africa. Social Science Research Collection, 4, 203–228. Sookmyung Women’s University (In Korean).
Han, C. (1965). Constitutions of Burundi and Mali. Social Science Review, 2(1), 133–149. (In Korean).
Han, G. (2013). A Methodological Reflection on African Studies in Korea and a Review for Research Topics. Asia Review, 3(1), 159–193. (In Korean).
Han, Y. J. (2015). Analysis of Essential Patent Portfolios via Bibliometric Mapping: An Illustration of Leading Firms in the 4G Era. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 27(7), 809–839.
Hong, J. (1975). Non-aligned Countries and Korean Diplomacy. The Dongguk Post. In Korean.
Hwang, K. (2007). Presidency in South Africa: Focusing on the Political Structure and the Power Mechanisms. Journal of the Korean Association of African Studies, 26, 205–227. (In Korean).
Hwang, K. (2016). African Studies in Korea: Current Status and Future Task. Journal of the Korean Association of African Studies, 47, 157–181. (In Korean).
Ichikawa, M. (2005). The History and Current Situation of Anthropological Studies on Africa in Japan. African Anthropologist, 12, 2.
Kim, S. (1965). Non-Western Perception of Social Scientists Toward Newly Founded Countries. Journal of Law and political science, 1, 141–150. (In Korean).
Kim, H. (1978). Market and Economic Condition of Six Black Horn African Countries: A Search for the Way of Korean Export. M.A. thesis, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. (In Korean).
Kim, K. (2001). The Cultural Identity of South Africa. Asian Journal of African Studies, 13, 81–144.
Kim, M., & Yang, J. (2012). The Place of Africa and the Middle East in the Diplomatic History of the Republic of Korea: Perceptions behind Diplomatic Organizational Changes. Korean Political Science Review, 46(5), 267–295. (In Korean).
Kirk-Greene, A. (2002). The Changing Face of African Studies in Britain, 1962–2002. African Research and Documentation, 90, 17–27.
Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade. (1977). Research on Kenyan Economy and Business Environment.
Lee, C. (2012). Syngman Rhee’s ‘Survival Diplomacy Against the US. Journal of Korean Politics, 21(3), 179–206. (In Korean).
Li, A. (2005). African Studies in China in the Twentieth Century: A Historiographical Survey. African Studies Review, 48(1), 59–87.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. (2010). Goodwill Mission to the Middle East and Africa.
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Republic of Korea. (2014). The Fifth Overseas Resource Development Plan.
Na, Y. (1986). Nation Building and Development of African Socialist Countries (in Korean). Journal of the Korean Association of African Studies, 1, 1–38.
Nobrega, A. (2002). African Research and Documentation: The Journal of the African Studies Association of the UK and the Standing Commission [Conference] on Library Materials on Africa, 90, 71–89.
Ododa, H. (1985). Somalia’s Domestic Politics and Foreign Relations Since the Ogaden War of 1977–78. Middle Eastern Studies, 21(3), 285–297.
Page, L. (2002). African Research and Documentation: The Journal of the African Studies Association of the UK and the Standing Commission [Conference] on Library Materials on Africa, 90, 53–57.
Park, D. (1985). Distribution and Development of Underground Resources of the African Countries (in Korean). Social Science and Policy Research, 7(1), 59–89.
Park, J. (1990). Political Change in South Korea: The Challenge of the Conservative Alliance. Asian Survey, 30(12), 1154–1168.
Park, W. (1996). Research on Current Status and Tasks of African Area Studies. Asian Journal of African Studies, 8(9), 1–15. (In Korean).
Park, T. (2007). The Economic Development Plans of the Rhee Government After the Korean War. Journal of World Politics, 8(0), 203–242. (In Korean).
Pyo, H. (1985). Research on Characteristics and Progress of Economic Development Strategy of African Countries. Social Science and Policy Research, 7(1), 35–58. (In Korean).
Rozman, G. (2007). South Korea and Sino-Japanese Rivalry: A Middle Power’s Options Within the East Asian Core Triangle. The Pacific Review, 20(2), 197–220.
Seo, S. (2006). A Theoretical Approach to Democratization in South Africa. Journal of the Korean Association of African Studies, 23, 37–77. (In Korean).
Shin, B. (1963). Research on Neutral States During the Cold War. The Law & Public Administration Review, 16, 147–154. (In Korean).
Small, H., & Greenlee, E. (1980). Citation Context Analysis of a Co-citation Cluster: Recombinant-DNA. Scientometrics, 2(4), 277–301.
Waltman, L., Van Eck, N. J., & Noyons, E. C. (2010). A Unified Approach to Mapping and Clustering of Bibliometric Networks. Journal of Informetrics, 4(4), 629–635.
Wertz, D., Oh, J. J., & Insung, K. (2016). DPRK Diplomatic Relations. The National Committee on North Korea. Dostupné na internete. Retrieved February 8, 2019, from http://www.ncnk.org/resources/briefing-papers/all-briefing-papers/dprk-diplomatic-relations.
Yoo, H., & Seol, G. (2015). Paradigm Change of Korea’s Foreign Policy towards Africa. OUGHTOPIA, 30(2), 217–245. (In Korean).
Yoon, G. (1978). Special Characteristics of African Ideology. Journal of Law and Political Science, 13(1), 7–13. (In Korean).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Appendices
Appendix 1: Timeline of Diplomatic Relationships with African Countries
South Korea | North Korea | |
|---|---|---|
1958 | People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Republic of Guinea | |
Republic of Benin Republic of Cameroon Republic of Chad Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Republic of Niger Republic of the Congo | 1961 | Republic of Mali |
Burkina Faso Gabonese Republic Kingdom of Morocco Republic of Madagascar Republic of Senegal Republic of Sierra Leone | 1962 | |
Republic of Mauritania Central African Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Republic of Rwanda Republic of Togo Republic of Uganda | 1963 | Arab Republic of Egypt |
Republic of Kenya Republic of Liberia | 1964 | Republic of Mauritania Republic of Ghana Republic of the Congo |
Republic of Malawi Republic of the Gambia | 1965 | United Republic of Tanzania |
Kingdom of Lesotho | 1966 | |
1967 | Federal Republic of Somalia | |
Republic of Botswana The Kingdom of Eswatini | 1968 | |
Tunisian Republic | 1969 | Central African Republic Republic of Chad Republic of Equatorial Guinea Republic of the Sudan Republic of Zambia |
Republic of Mauritius | 1971 | Republic of Sierra Leone |
1972 | Burkina Faso Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of Cameroon Republic of Madagascar Republic of Rwanda Republic of Senegal Republic of Uganda | |
1973 | Republic of Benin Republic of Liberia Republic of Mauritius Republic of the Gambia Republic of Togo | |
1974 | Libya Gabonese Republic Republic of Botswana Republic of Guinea Bissau Republic of Niger | |
1975 | Democratic Republic of Sâo Tomé and Príncipe Republic of Angola Republic of Cabo Verde Republic of Mozambique Tunisian Republic Union of the Comoros | |
Republic of Seychelles | 1976 | Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Federal Republic of Nigeria Republic of Namibia Republic of Seychelles |
Republic of Djibouti Republic of Ghana Republic of the Sudan | 1977 | |
Republic of Equatorial Guinea Union of the Comoros | 1979 | |
Libya Federal Republic of Nigeria | 1980 | Kingdom of Lesotho Republic of Zimbabwe |
1982 | Republic of Malawi | |
Republic of Guinea Bissau | 1983 | |
1985 | Republic of Côte d’Ivoire | |
Federal Republic of Somalia | 1987 | |
Democratic Republic of Sâo Tomé and Príncipe Republic of Cabo Verde | 1988 | |
1989 | Kingdom of Morocco | |
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria Republic of Mali Republic of Namibia Republic of Zambia | 1990 | |
Republic of Burundi | 1991 | |
Republic of Angola Republic of South Africa United Republic of Tanzania | 1992 | |
Republic of Mozambique State of Eritrea | 1993 | Republic of Djibouti State of Eritrea |
Republic of Zimbabwe | 1994 | |
Arab Republic of Egypt | 1995 | |
1998 | Republic of South Africa | |
Republic of Guinea | 2006 | |
2008 | Republic of Kenya | |
Republic of South Sudan | 2011 | Republic of South Sudan |
Appendix 2: Frequent Keywords, 1970s–1980s
Rank | Cluster 1 | Cluster 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Keyword | Instances | Keyword | Instances | |
1 | Economy | 66 | Foreign policy | 35 |
2 | Trade | 58 | Economic cooperation | 28 |
3 | Market entry | 44 | Nationalism | 15 |
4 | Country overview | 37 | Socialism | 15 |
5 | Export | 37 | Soviet Union | 15 |
6 | Political structure | 31 | Ideology | 13 |
7 | Industry | 27 | Development aid | 12 |
8 | Nigeria | 27 | Sub-Saharan Africa | 11 |
9 | FDI | 26 | China | 10 |
10 | Agriculture | 22 | Colonialism | 10 |
11 | SOC (Social Overhead Capital) | 22 | Third World Policy | 10 |
12 | Infrastructure | 19 | Aid | 9 |
13 | Kenya | 18 | North Korea | 8 |
14 | Economic development | 16 | Developing country | 7 |
15 | Construction | 15 | Diplomatic relations | 7 |
16 | Import | 13 | Marxism | 7 |
17 | Mineral resource | 13 | Non-alignment policy | 7 |
18 | Company | 12 | Pan-Africanism | 7 |
19 | Oil | 11 | Rural development | 7 |
20 | Senegal | 11 | Black Africa | 6 |
21 | Côte d’Ivoire | 10 | France | 6 |
22 | History | 10 | USA | 6 |
23 | Gabon | 9 | Angola | 5 |
24 | Japan | 9 | Nation building | 5 |
25 | South Africa | 9 | Asia | 5 |
26 | Resource | 8 | ||
27 | Tanzania | 8 | ||
28 | Zaire | 8 | ||
29 | Uganda | 7 | ||
30 | Investment | 6 | ||
31 | Liberia | 6 | ||
32 | Natural resources | 6 | ||
33 | Society | 6 | ||
34 | Plant | 5 | ||
Appendix 3: Frequent Keywords, 1990s–2010s
Rank | Cluster 1 | Cluster 2 | Cluster 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keyword | Instances | Keyword | Instances | Keyword | Instances | |
1 | Economy | 52 | ODA (Official Development Assistance) | 103 | China | 70 |
2 | Civil war | 37 | Sub-Saharan Africa | 68 | South Africa | 69 |
3 | Conflict | 35 | Development | 57 | Trade | 54 |
4 | North Africa | 35 | Poverty | 54 | Foreign policy | 50 |
5 | Democracy | 34 | Ethiopia | 40 | Resources | 34 |
6 | Democratization | 29 | Kenya | 38 | Economic cooperation | 29 |
7 | Colonialism | 28 | Education | 37 | Oil | 28 |
8 | History | 27 | Economic development | 36 | FDI (foreign direct investment) | 28 |
9 | Security | 25 | Nigeria | 32 | Aid | 25 |
10 | France | 25 | Tanzania | 32 | Developing countries | 24 |
11 | Politics | 23 | Rwanda | 28 | Infrastructure | 18 |
12 | West Africa | 21 | Governance | 26 | Soft power | 18 |
13 | UN (United Nations) | 18 | Economic growth | 25 | Investment | 17 |
14 | Independence | 16 | Human rights | 23 | Southern Africa | 17 |
15 | Peace | 16 | Women | 23 | Export | 17 |
16 | Francophone | 16 | Ghana | 22 | Energy | 15 |
17 | Algeria | 15 | Cooperation | 21 | Market entry | 14 |
18 | Egypt | 15 | Development cooperation | 21 | South-South Cooperation | 14 |
19 | Refugee | 15 | Sustainable development | 21 | EU | 14 |
20 | Ethnic conflict | 15 | Agriculture | 18 | US | 14 |
21 | Apartheid | 14 | East Africa | 18 | Mozambique | 13 |
22 | Cameroon | 14 | Health | 18 | Angola | 12 |
23 | Libya | 14 | MDGs | 18 | Development assistance | 12 |
24 | Morocco | 13 | Congo | 17 | Natural resources | 12 |
25 | Senegal | 13 | Corruption | 16 | Japan | 11 |
26 | AU | 12 | Uganda | 16 | Political instability | 11 |
27 | Regional integration | 12 | Culture | 15 | SADC (Southern African Development Community) | 11 |
28 | Terror | 12 | Globalization | 15 | Migration | 11 |
29 | Arab | 12 | Gender equality | 14 | Europe | 10 |
30 | Language | 12 | Policy | 13 | ||
31 | Economic Integration | 11 | HIV/AIDS | 12 | ||
32 | Islam | 11 | Environment | 11 | ||
33 | Middle East | 11 | ||||
34 | Sudan | 11 | ||||
35 | Society | 11 | ||||
36 | Ethnic | 10 | ||||
37 | Maghreb | 10 | ||||
38 | Nationalism | 10 | ||||
39 | Somalia | 10 | ||||
40 | Election | 10 | ||||
41 | Post-colonialism | 10 | ||||
42 | Race | 10 | ||||
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Choi, D.J., Han, S., Lee, S. (2020). South Korean Social Science Research on Africa. In: Chang, Y. (eds) South Korea’s Engagement with Africa. Africa's Global Engagement: Perspectives from Emerging Countries. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9013-6_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9013-6_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-32-9012-9
Online ISBN: 978-981-32-9013-6
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)