Korea Policy
From the Issue
Korea Policy Vol. 1About Korea Policy
Korea Policy is the premier journal for analysis and commentary on developments affecting the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Bridging scholarly insight and policy relevance, Korea Policy features original research and expert perspectives on strategic, political, economic, and other issues shaping Korea’s role in the world. In this way, KEI aims to inform academic debate, guide policy discussions, and foster a deeper understanding of the important partnership between the United States and South Korea. Contributions come from leading scholars, practitioners, and emerging voices across various fields.
Korea Policy is an open-source academic journal commissioned, edited, and published by the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, D.C
In 2020, Xi Jinping was on a roll. Donald Trump had left U.S. alliances in disarray and the home front in discord, unable even to unite against a pandemic. U.S. allies South Korea and Japan saw China (and Russia too) in ways at odds with U.S. strategy—Moon Jae-in depending on it for his obsession with North Korean diplomacy, and Abe Shinzo awaiting a state visit from Xi in the hope of economic cooperation at odds with Trump’s trade war. The entry of India into the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) before a June 2020 Himalayan knife fight seemed to give China the edge over Abe’s appeal for a Quad, joining it with the U.S., Japan, and Australia. By 2023, the picture had changed dramatically. This article points to seven arenas where the U.S. under Joe Biden has gained appreciably in the Indo-Pacific at China’s expense. Competition in reshaping the regional order is continuing; no verdict is yet possible on which side will gain the upper hand. The Chinese controlling strategy continues to vie against the U.S. blocking strategy.