Infectious disease and national security: A comparison of China and South Korea

This thesis is a comprehensive analysis of how the People's Republic of China (China) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) approached national security during the respective infectious diseases they have been forced to confront. It looks at the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), and the most recent COVID-19 pandemic from December 2019 to the present day. This thesis looks at how both countries have dealt with both the ongoing infectious disease crises and their continuing national security interests by utilizing a mixed methodological approach of rhetoric analysis and data gathering, approaching the question with the help of case studies. It utilizes primarily the Constructivist Copenhagen School while utilizing certain elements of the Paris School as well. It takes on case studies for both countries. For China, it looks at media control and information during infectious disease outbreaks, the implications for the Belt and Road Initiative, the recognition of Taiwan, Hong Kong, foreign affairs, and human capital. For South Korea, it looks at media control and information, North Korea, foreign affairs, infrastructural issues, and citizen trust. It is thus possible to make predictions regarding the policies other countries choose to implement on global security and international foreign policy by investigating whether China and South Korea have modified existing national security practices by putting forward the current pandemic conditions and practices.