Foreign Relations

North Korea’s ballistic missile tests in July 2006 shone a spotlight on security issues in East Asia. The media paid much attention to political challenges facing the U.S.-ROK alliance. Another…

During the past few years, the United States has begun three important initiatives that alter its defense commitment to South Korea (Republic of Korea [ROK]). First, Washington started to decrease…

What Happened In a speech commemorating Korea’s declaration of independence from Japan in 1919, President Moon indicated his government's desire to improve ties with Japan. The speech reaffirmed Moon’s long-standing push to separate bilateral discussions on the legacy of Japan’s colonial occupation from talks on security and other future-oriented concerns. Moon also stated that improving relations with…

It is the job of every foreign ministry to advance the interests of its country. But how, precisely? Biden’s first foreign policy speech stressed basic principles, and focused in no small measure on democratic values and restoring American presence on the world stage. This focus mirrored themes Biden raised in his campaign, to be sure.…

What Happened There is speculation in South Korea that the Biden administration will strengthen ties between democratic countries to affect U.S. engagement with China. While Seoul has been hesitant to make any moves that might provoke China, former ROK ambassador to the United States Yang Sung-chul noted that the forum can be a means to advance South Korea’s own…

In recent months, western media reporting has emphasized Kim Jong Un’s emotion-laden comments admitting both North Korea’s failure to meet economic goals and the severe hardships being experienced by its people. These statements have been characterized by some western observers as apologies, contrition and personal admissions of “his” failure. Such characterizations should not lead to…