The political change, which has erupted in Tunisia in the beginning of 2011, has affected other Arab countries. Egypt, Libya and Yemen have followed the case of Tunisia and the Syrian government has now faced a serious challenge from the grassroots resistant movement.
This report aims at understanding the fundamental nature of the current political change in the Arab world in order to offer new perspectives which can be utilized to set up a series of new strategies and policies toward the Arab World.
Islamism and tribalism as fundamental elements of national identity and political and economic system in the Arab world have been crucial players in the current political change and the future politico-economic structure and system. Thus, it is important to examine how these two ideologies or traditions would affect the future Arab political and economic systems and structures.
In Islamism, the pro-government religious establishment has lost its political gravity, while anti-government Islamist movements have expanded its activities within the new political environment. Like the cases of Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco, the newly established Islamist parties would continue their victories in various elections and enlarge their influence in formulating new legal, political, and economic structures and systems.
In tribalism, some countries like Libya, Yemen, and Syria have witnessed tribal conflicts in the process of political change and this tribal rivalry would affect decision-making process in the future. Nevertheless, the Gulf countries, where dominant clans and tribes have monopolized the political and economic power, would engage themselves in some level of pluralism.
In this rapid change of political environment, the Korean government and business circles should change the existing strategies toward the region. A new perspective based on cultural exchange and understanding would be needed.



“Arab Spring” 2011 and Changes of US Foreign Policy towards the Middle East / Nam-sik In

When it comes to US foreign policy towards the Middle East, a dramatic trend of democratic movement in and around Arab states marks a watershed for totally new approach. In the aftermath of tragic 9⋅11, Bush doctrine was initiated and adopted as a main policy platform, which includes moral absolutism, hegemonic unilateralism and offensive realism. Newly adopted doctrinal standard intended to establish democratic states in the Middle East. But it was not successful. Due to heavy consumption of budget and human resources in both war theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan, fatigue increased and finally the US had to change its own strategy towards the Middle East. Obama administration has been trying to make an every effort to alleviate burden of Anti-American sentiment in and around region. In doing so, the US adopted totally new approach to region. Which is so called 'Obama doctrine' including epistemological relativism, splendid disegagement from Iraq and Afghanistan and relying on multilateral cooperation instead of hegemonic unilateralism.