Impact of Asian Soft Power in Latin America - China and South Korea as Emerging Powers in the Subcontinent

Has the use of soft power as a strategic foreign policy tool enabled China and South Korea to position themselves as emerging powers in Latin America? This study operationalizes and conceptualizes the concept of soft power by measuring it through specific categories within a case study and offers an extended definition of emerging powers. The concept of soft power has been defined by IR theory as a tool only available to hegemonic or strong powers, which has perpetuated an inherent western bias and limited its application to smaller countries. Furthermore, the distinction of hard and soft power has been oversimplified. The case study proves: China´s use of cultural soft power is not the reason behind its rise as an emerging power in Latin America. Instead, its palpable economic strength in the subcontinent represents its main soft power asset. Furthermore, South Korea has turned into an emerging power by using its cultural soft power. That result expands the existing definition of emerging powers, which has so far neglected the rise of a country through the use of culture. Because South Korea is also a middle power, the research proves that soft power can be exerted by smaller powers and not just by great ones