The Yoon administration’s close alignment with the Biden administration has been a defining feature of South Korea’s recent foreign policy. This tight partnership may now face significant challenges with the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.
South Korea comes across as the darling of non-Korean academics. From scholarly articles to international conferences, South Korea’s political and diplomatic maneuvers are showered with glowing accolades. It’s as if every foreign academic is competing in an unspoken game of - Who can praise Seoul the most?
There is growing South Korean concern that Donald Trump will negotiate with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to accept North Korea's nuclear arsenal in exchange for halting its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
In international relations, you’d think the people with the clearest view would be those who’ve been trained in the field—foreign policy analysts, diplomats, think-tanks pundits, journalists, and political scientists. They have the education, the experience, and an understanding of the inner workings of governments. But sometimes, the people who see things most clearly are those who aren’t bogged down by all that expertise—outsiders like novelists, playwrights, and artists. Why is that?
International relations theory often overlooks the emotional, cultural, historical, and practice dimensions that influence decision-making.
The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan announced the establishment of a trilateral secretariat during the APEC summit in November 2024. This institutionalization aims to strengthen security cooperation.
The South Korean government is set to amend its espionage laws, previously focused on activities aiding North Korea, to encompass actions supporting other foreign powers.
Dominant states never reinvent diplomacy, they just adapt it to secure their interests - and most states are already adapting to China.
The U.S. election campaign brought out three facts about foreign policy: (1) the public no longer supports longheld traditions - republican or democrat; (2) isolationism, albeit a nuanced 21st century form, has returned; and (3) public understanding and appreciation of foreign policy is at an all time low.
Donald Trump's rhetoric and foreign policy actions often highlight America's self-interest at the expense of traditional allies.
