Basic approaches to understanding the concept of “middle power”

The article presents the basic approaches to understanding the concept of "middle power". The state that takes an intermediate position between great and small can be named “middle power”. There are three main approaches to its understanding - hierarchical, functional and behavioral. Since the 1990s the government of the Republic of Korea seeks to identify the current international position of the Republic of Korea as a "middle power". This generates interest in studying the concept by Korean researchers. In the article we have considered new approaches to understanding the "middle power", such as realistic, liberal compromise, and the synergistic national power. The last approach involves the indicators of hard and soft power and basic national power elements.