Thomas P.M. Barnett

ARTICLE: "For South Korea, 'Emerging' Label Can Be a Burden," by Ian McDonald and Karen Richardson, Wall Street Journal, 12 July 2006, p. C1.

South Korea has the 12th largest economy in the world, on par with Canada, a member of the G-8, and yet it's stll considered "emerging" by all indices.

Why?

"One obstacle to an upgrade is the risk of political instability in neighboring North Korea, as evidenced by that country's missile test firings last week."

You want serious Core status, you need to act like a serious Core power, not bury your head in the sand and expect others to carry your weight.