The U.S.-ROK-DPRK Strategic Triangle in the Indo-Pacific Era

Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangular relationship has evolved over several phases and has been impacted by the rise of China. The development of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy since 2017 marks the latest phase in this evolution and has primarily been driven by the emergence of China as an object of strategic concern and a perceived threat both in the United States and South Korea. In this phase, the primary influence of rising geostrategic rivalry on the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangle has been the reinforcing of the U.S.-South Korea alliance while China countered by reviving strategic ties with North Korea. To a certain extent, the reemergence of U.S.-China strategic rivalry brought the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangle full circle to the Cold War days of superpower confrontation.

KEI’s program will feature Scott Snyder’s work to help better understand: the evolution in perceptions of the three main actors in the U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangle, including their respective approaches to one another and interactions with China; the main impacts of U.S.-China rivalry on their respective postures and priorities; and the future trajectory of both U.S.-South Korea-North Korea triangular relations and great power relations in the region.

Mr. Snyder’s paper will be a part of KEI’s new flagship journal, Korea Policy, Vol. II, and will be published in September 2023, both in digital and hard copy formats.