South Korea's role conceptions and the liberal international order.

The article examines South Korea's complex and sometimes contradictory stance toward the liberal international order (LIO), attributing this to a situation of role conflict arising from multiple and conflicting national role conceptions rooted in differing interpretations of the Korean War. While South Korea broadly supports the LIO—promoting multilateralism, liberal values, and active participation in institutions like the United Nations—its foreign policy often deviates due to competing roles emphasized by conservative and progressive administrations. Conservatives prioritize the "US ally" role focused on security and alliance commitments, sometimes at the expense of LIO principles, whereas progressives emphasize "balancer" and "independent nation" roles centered on inter-Korean unity and autonomy, occasionally conflicting with alliance obligations and human rights advocacy. The article suggests that resolving these conflicts through role-balancing, rather than hierarchical prioritization of roles, could reduce policy inconsistency and enhance South Korea’s stable engagement with the LIO.