• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.6 no.7
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• pp.79-89
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• 2006

This study attempted theoretical considerations for the formation and roles of international organizations. More specifically, the study examined experiential cases of IAEA's formation and roles, based on the points of realist and liberalist paradigms that show different viewpoints on the formation and roles of international organizations. The findings of this study show that many parts cannot be explained only with theoretical assumptions of liberalist paradigm, such as international organizations' functional merits, game rules, interdependent interests and role independence. Especially as seen in the formation and operation cases of IAEA, the formation of international organizations is mainly motivated by the security of vested rights among powers and their roles may be changed, depending on the mutual policy objectives of the countries concerned.. In this respect, international organizations do not seem to be strictly protected in independence or efficiency of their roles. Therefore, the liberalist hegemony stability theory is useful to explain the formation and roles of international organizations.