Foreign Relations

Both India’s and South Korea’s strategic choices are deeply influenced by the rapidly evolving Indo-Pacific construct, particularly amid a mounting U.S.-China rivalry. With India’s “Look/Act East” policy and South Korea’s…

The New Northern Policy, proclaimed by the South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Vladivostok in September 2017, is designed to boost economic cooperation between Russia and South Korea. However, two…

This examination of the relations among these four governments assesses the ever-closer China-Russia relationship featuring stronger strategic alignment against the United States and its interests in many parts of the…

The Japanese government makes no secret of its intensifying security concerns. The Ministry of Defense’s most recent annual white paper includes the assessment that, “The security environment surrounding Japan has…

What Happened On April 1, Seoul and Tokyo met to discuss historical issues, future bilateral meetings, and improving trilateral relations. The meeting came just after Japan’s Ministry of Education approved 30 high school social studies and history textbooks that showed the Dokdo islets as part of Japanese territory. Although South Korea called for the books to be corrected and for the…

What Happened On March 26, the South Korean Defense Minister met with his Indian counterpart to discuss mutual cooperation. Items discussed included increasing defense ties, arms sales, and foreign direct investment. Korean companies are interested in partnering with the Indian military to supply anti-aircraft defense systems and participate in shipbuilding projects. Implications: While Korea has not joined any formal coalitions aiming…

Thomas Bach, current Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), published a lengthy opinion piece about the Olympic Games last October.  In a strong defense of the games as “an event that unites the world,” he unequivocally proclaimed that “the Olympic Games are not about politics.” While keeping politics out of the Olympic Games may…

At a time when the Biden Administration is seeking to restore faith in the alliances and show resolve, the potential for security cooperation between Japan and Korea is dimmed by the continuing primacy of disputes over history. Aggravating this problem is an ever-widening gap between Japan and South Korean with respect China. At the two…