Are middle powers followers in issues of international security?
Australian policy with regards to nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula demonstrates a strong correlation to the realist hypothesis that middle powers are followers in international security. It also reflects the path followed by other middle powers states throughout the period, notably, Canada, Sweden, Italy and Germany. However, further research is needed to confirm the hypothesis, for there is one glaring exception-South Korea. Unlike the example of Australia, for which the period 1997-2007 can be divided neatly into two distinct periods of pre-nuclear crisis and post-nuclear crisis, South Korean policy has had a rather steady trajectory of engagement. Indeed, a graph charting the various forms of inter-Korean cooperation projects including economic cooperation, political and military dialogue, humanitarian projects, and social and cultural exchanges demonstrates a steady rise. This steady rise continues throughout the period October 2002 to February 2007, and has only a barely per
