The Peninsula
The Peninsula blog is a project of the Korea Economic Institute. It is designed to provide a wide ranging forum for discussion of the foreign policy, economic, and social issues that impact the Korean peninsula.
Sino-Korean Relations in a Fluctuating Region
Terrence Matsuo
May 9, 2023
South Korea looks to balance it with China and the United States while advancing its interests with both states.
Quick Takeaways from the Washington Declaration
Clint Work
April 27, 2023
The Washington Declaration was designed to ease South Korean concerns about U.S. extended deterrence. Will it achieve its goal?
South Korea as a Middle Power and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Jeffrey Robertson
April 20, 2023
How South Korea responds to Russia's invasion of Ukraine will shape the type of middle power Seoul will become.
U.S.-ROK Alliance Consultative Mechanisms: Strengthening Deterrence, Providing Reassurance, Facing an Enduring Challenge
S. Paul Choi
March 14, 2023
Consultative mechanisms collectively reflect the breadth and depth of ROK-U.S. security cooperation, as well as the increasingly complex strategic environment in which the alliance operates.
History’s Long Shadow: Contradictions in the U.S. Commitment to Korea
Clint Work
March 13, 2023
The history surrounding the U.S. commitment to South Korea, including the nuclear umbrella, is critical to understanding the alliance today.
South Korea’s Drive Toward Deterrent Capabilities
Andy Hong
March 10, 2023
South Korea’s conventional weapons advancements are a critical variable in Seoul’s potential development of an indigenous nuclear deterrent.
Comparing Contexts: South Korea's Potential Nuclear Armament in the 1970s & 2020s
Taehwa Hong
March 9, 2023
The 1970s was a turbulent period for the U.S.-ROK alliance, including South Korea's first attempt to develop its own nuclear weapon.
Japanese Protestation and Pragmatism Towards a Nuclear South Korea
Terrence Matsuo
March 1, 2023
If Korea chose to pursue a nuclear weapon, it is likely that Japan would initially signal disapproval with diplomatic and economic sanctions.