May 26,2016 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (May 2016)

Implementation of Sanctions against North Korea Chun Young-woo opined in the March 25 DongA Ilbo that rigorous implementation is the key to denuclearization of the North. Chun says even such tight implementation would take more than a year until the North changed its behavior and agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Though the Security […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)

CICA , Economic sanctions , non-proliferation , Resolution 2270 , THAAD

Mar 25,2016 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (March 2016)

Whereas relations with Japan remained a preoccupation throughout 2015, the December 28 agreement on the “comfort women” issue left more room for attention in 2016 to turn in other directions. In the first months of the new year, after the fourth North Korean nuclear test, the Park administration’s responses grabbed the spotlight, especially the decision […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)

comfort women , Kaesong Industrial Complex , THAAD

Jun 11,2015 Special Forum

Option 2: Strengthening the ROK-US Alliance

*The views expressed in this report are the author’s alone and do not represent the official position of the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or the US government. The security environment in Northeast Asia has undergone significant changes over the past two decades and continues to evolve towards an uncertain future. Particularly […]

Terence Roehrig

OPCON transfer , ROK-US Alliance , THAAD

May 19,2015 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (May 2015)

The Park administration’s diplomatic strategy was tested in the last two months concerning AIIB and Japan. On AIIB, while Seoul kept silent about its decision before joining as a founding member, the pressure from Beijing and Washington was growing. The South Korean government labeled its diplomacy “strategic ambiguity,” but, on both the left and the […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)

AIIB , historical revisionism , Kono Statement , THAAD

Apr 09,2015 Special Forum

Recalibrating the Rebalance: A View from South Korea

Akin to other key Asian powers that have a long-standing alliance with the United States, South Korea has welcomed America’s renewed attention to Asia although this is hardly surprising given historically high positive perceptions of the United States and the ROK-US alliance. According to a report published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies […]

Lee Chung Min*

AIIB , CFC , Sino-DPRK relations , THAAD

Mar 31,2015 National Commentaries

A Chinese Perspective

  "Missile Defense on the Korean Peninsula"   Why Is China Unhappy with the Deployment of THAAD in the ROK? On March 16, 2015 during his visit to South Korea, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao in talks with his counterparts reiterated China’s concern on the possible deployment of US THAAD in South Korea.1 Taking into […]

Teng Jianqun*

Strategic Encirclement , THAAD , X-Band radar

Mar 31,2015 National Commentaries

A South Korean Perspective

  "Missile Defense on the Korean Peninsula"   A South Korean View on the Deployment of THAAD to the ROK   On March 16, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao met his Korean counterpart and told the press that they had “candid and free discussions” over THAAD. Liu said China hoped that South Korea and the […]

Woo Jung-Yeop*

ROK-US Alliance , THAAD

Mar 31,2015 National Commentaries

A US Perspective

  "Missile Defense on the Korean Peninsula"   From Political Taboo to Strategic Hedge: A US Perspective on Ballistic Missile Defense   Ballistic missile defense (BMD) is both expensive and largely unproven;1 so on what basis might we judge its value? This article offers a US perspective about the utility of BMD in support of […]

Van Jackson

Asymmetry , ROK-US Alliance , strategic hedge , THAAD

Nov 10,2014 Country Reports

Country Report: South Korea (November 2014)

South Korean newspapers have recently focused on parallels in international relations. As they follow developments in Ukraine and Hong Kong and keep their gaze on North Korea, they are alert to similarities that can influence the foreign policy of the Park administration. The most significant overlaps are found between Ukraine and South Korea. The former […]

Editorial Staff (prepared by Han Minjeong)

Agreed Framework , Civilizations , Hong Kong , Regionalism , reorganization of Asia , THAAD , Ukraine