The South Korean government has taken a lot of criticism over the years for its national branding initiatives. Its “Globalization of Hansik (Korean cuisine)” campaign, launched in 2009 and costing around $20 million, was no exception.

Middlepowerism is a difficult concept...The term can also denote states that demonstrate strong diplomatic aptitude through activities like diplomatic activism, coalition building, niche diplomacy, and “good international citizenship.” But for policymakers and diplomatic practitioners, middlepowerism is something very different.

So what does that mean about the influence of Korean culture, the image of Korea and the popularity of Korean artists worldwide? Are the viral videos of PSY a testament to Korean soft power? Or reflective of the changing landscape of new media in which hundreds of millions of netizens decided to share this humorous music video by a ‘funny Asian guy’ with their friends?

With the threat of a missile strike from North Korea still looming, South Korea is exploring all avenues to defend itself. One possibility is to buy Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system. Kim Minjung and her friends are studying Middle East politics at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

Like her predecessors, Ms. Park has made the U.S. her first overseas destination after taking office in order to bolster an alliance that goes back to the 1950-53 Korean War, when the countries fought together against invasion from North Korea.

The Korean dumplings in your grocer's freezer, the new Thai restaurant on the corner and that Burmese curry you ate for lunch are doing more than satisfying your craving for an exotic and flavorful meal. These foods are also helping to foster international relations.