Cybersecurity Crisscrossing International Development Cooperation: Unraveling the Cyber Capacity Building of East Asian Middle Powers Amid Rising Great Power Conflicts

Why do states aid other states' economic development? This has long been pondered in international relations (IR) and addressed by realism, humanitarian internationalism, and other theories. However, the recent establishment of cybersecurity capacity building (CCB) centers calls for a renewed investigation of the subject due to the nature of new digital technology. This article is particularly concerned with both the national security and economic development domains of CCB, because cybersecurity has become a critical national security concern for many nations and because internet-related technology has become essential for economic development, requiring its secure and safe operation. This paper argues that CCB, a new form of international development, has been pursued with disparate goals by different states, conditional upon the donor's surrounding international environment. With cases of CCB centers recently established by Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), this research demonstrates that while Japanese CCB efforts are aligned with Japan's national strategy, the ROK has approached CCB largely from the perspective of developmental assistance. The study suggests that academics uncover disparate rationales behind similar CCB activities, that potential recipients need to recognize the difference, and that foreign policymakers must recognize the versatile implications of CCB when internationally coordinating such efforts.