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  • 16 Aug 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United States

    Farewell Fumio Kishida – regional foundations are stronger for your legacy

    Jane Hardy
    Too much focus on personality politics can obscure the enduring common interests between countries.
  • 22 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Japan, South Korea and United States: Let’s hope for a robust, lasting pact

    Jane Hardy
    The new framework for security cooperation will have important consequences for the region – if it survives domestic politics among the partners.
  • 2 Jul 2024
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • United States

    Putin goes to Pyongyang: Should we be worried?

    Jane Hardy
    The renewed marriage of convenience between Russia and North Korea has global implications.
  • 1 Jul 2024
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons

    South Korea’s nuclear ambition holds a place in the national consciousness

    Jeffrey Robertson
    It might seem illogical to the rest of the world, but a sense of vulnerability has a pervasive pull on policy.
  • 28 Jun 2024
    • China
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Putin in Asia: Setting a cat among the pigeons

    Ian Hill
    Ever a pragmatist, the Russian leader’s calculated alignments are purely based on needs and interests.
  • 19 Jun 2024
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Koreas policy: Sorting fact with fiction

    Jeffrey Robertson
    You can’t understand a country without knowing the stories people like to invent.
  • 30 May 2024
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    With balloons in the sky, North Korea keeps its feet on the ground

    Khang Vu
    Just mind not to step in the smelly message.
  • 2 May 2024
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Australia's Economy
    • Australian trade, investment & economy
    • G20
    • Geo-economics
    • Multilateral Development Banks

    Economic diplomacy: It’s nostalgists vs strategists

    Greg Earl
    As a new Treasurer claims a geo-economic legacy in industrial policy, his predecessor’s once shiny G20 triumph has been dumped.
  • 15 Apr 2024
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • United States

    Is South Korea’s Indo‑Pacific Strategy a diplomatic lame duck?

    Jeffrey Robertson
    After President Yoon’s election defeat, a change in foreign policy is unlikely, but momentum will vanish.
  • 21 Mar 2024
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Diplomacy

    Economic diplomacy: Politics rules in Korean envoy row

    Greg Earl
    From Seoul to Washington, “captain’s pick” ambassadors are being embroiled by unexpected domestic political tensions.
  • 6 Mar 2024
    • China
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • United States

    A summit between Japan and North Korea? About time

    Khang Vu
    With Kim Jong-un extending an olive branch to Tokyo, high-level talks may be on the cards, but roadblocks remain.
  • 28 Feb 2024
    • China
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • United Nations
    • United States

    Can South Korea become a global pivotal state?

    Gabriela Bernal
    With non-permanent member status on the UN Security Council, Seoul has a long list of goals to help make its mark.
  • 5 Dec 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Should Trump win, will Kim Jong-un pick up the phone?

    Khang Vu
    Circumstances have greatly changed since the “bromance” that captivated the world.
  • 28 Nov 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    The extra bad news behind the latest Korean break-down

    Gabriela Bernal
    Suspending the 2018 inter-Korean military accord not only fuels mistrust but shows neither side is looking for an off-ramp.
  • 6 Nov 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    How vulnerable is South Korea to a “Hamas-style” attack from the North?

    Khang Vu
    History makes Seoul’s concern understandable – but the best way to deter surprise is through engagement.
  • 21 Sep 2023
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • United States

    The Camp David Agreement’s shallow foundations

    Henry Storey
    A new trilateral security arrangement could precipitate unintended and deleterious consequences for the US–Korea alliance.
  • 23 Aug 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    The curious tales of defectors to North Korea

    Gabriela Bernal
    Why would anyone choose to live in or return to a repressive hermit state? The answers are complex and include regret.
  • 17 Aug 2023
    • China
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Bridging the divide: the significance of the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral

    Daniel R. DePetris
    The Biden administration sees the upcoming summit as historic – China and North Korea may also, for different reasons.
  • 24 Jul 2023
    • China
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Forget Washington, Pyongyang’s most important target has always been Beijing

    Khang Vu
    Kim Jong-un’s charm offensive with Donald Trump may have yielded few results. Not so his efforts with Xi Jinping.
  • 15 Jun 2023
    • China
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    It’s time for South Korea to refocus on multilateral diplomacy 

    Gabriela Bernal
    A new national security strategy stresses values-based diplomacy, but that can’t be at the expense of talking to China. 
  • 24 May 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons

    North Korea/South Korea: Who’s threatening who?

    Khang Vu
    The prospect of using nuclear weapons to coerce behaviour has limits.
  • 2 May 2023
    • Asia
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Free Trade
    • Global Issues

    Choosing openness in the international economy

    Andrew Leigh
    As the region seeks to rebound from a global economic downturn, the free flow of goods and services is key.
  • 28 Apr 2023
    • South Korea
    • Climate change
    • Sustainability

    South Korea can’t afford to be a Wally with water

    Genevieve Donnellon-May
    And neither can the rest of the world.
  • 27 Apr 2023
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • United States

    Will US reassurance be enough to halt South Korea’s nuclear ambition?

    Eva Mackinley
    Seoul has won extra support from Washington, but not for the goal of global disarmament.
  • 4 Apr 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    North Korea keeps building more powerful weapons, with no end in sight

    Gabriela Bernal
    Diplomacy is desperately needed to avoid an irreversible escalation in nuclear capability and the excuse to use it.
  • 14 Mar 2023
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Japan and South Korea: a logical but uneasy alignment

    Robert E Kelly
    Is a compensation deal to right colonial-era wrongs part of a strategic shift towards rapprochement?
  • 17 Feb 2023
    • Indonesia
    • South Korea
    • Defence & Security

    Indonesia’s own subs conundrum

    Alexander M. Hynd , Max Broad
    A stalled deal with South Korea means both countries must overcome defence cooperation challenges to look to the future.
  • 14 Feb 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Why North Korea is denying its involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine

    Khang Vu
    Pyongyang appears to be a reluctant participant in Putin’s brutal offensive in Eastern Europe.
  • 18 Jan 2023
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons

    “If the problem becomes more serious”: South Korea talks going nuclear

    Gabriela Bernal
    The high stakes on Korean Peninsula have quickly become even more acute in 2023.
  • 11 Nov 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons

    North Korea: unpredictably predictable

    Khang Vu
    The rationale behind Pyongyang’s provocative missile launches may not be as menacing as it appears.
  • 4 Nov 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • United States

    Solutions to the North Korea issue no longer include denuclearisation

    Daniel R. DePetris
    A minimalist approach based on arms control, risk reduction and deterrence is what’s needed right now on the Peninsula.
  • 25 Oct 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    The Korean Peninsula still poses major risks

    Gabriela Bernal
    Escalating tensions and vicious cycles. We’ve heard this story before. That doesn’t make the situation less dangerous.
  • 5 Oct 2022
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • United States

    Hot button issue: North Korea’s bold new nuclear stance

    Gabriela Bernal
    Regional leaders would do well to focus on engagement with Pyongyang after missile launches set a dangerous precedent.
  • 8 Sep 2022
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Can Seoul and Tokyo mend ties?

    Gabriela Bernal
    Defence talks this week are a good sign. But a lot of history stands in the way of cooperation, even over North Korea.
  • 29 Aug 2022
    • South Korea
    • Australia in the World
    • Australia's Defence Challenges
    • Australian Diplomacy

    The merits of transactionalism

    Victor Abramowicz
    Seeking deeper relationships doesn’t always best serve the national interest.
  • 5 Aug 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • United States

    Koreas: The hidden risk of the “kill chain”

    Khang Vu
    South Korea's threat to pre-emptively decapitate the leadership in Pyongyang may drag the United States into a conflict.
  • 28 Jun 2022
    • China
    • Japan
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • United States

    Contingency plans: South Korea and cross-Strait security

    Henry Storey
    Seoul’s new administration faces critical choices over Taiwan and its relationships with Washington and Beijing.
  • 13 Apr 2022
    • Public Opinion
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Bellicose or bluster? How South Koreans see the North’s nuclear threat

    Timothy S. Rich , Brooklind Norman , Josie Coyle
    The policy of a new president in Seoul depends not only on Pyongyang but also South Korean public perceptions.
  • 30 Mar 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Why now? The timing of North Korea’s ICBM test

    Khang Vu
    History has an alarming habit of repeating on the Korean peninsula.
  • 22 Mar 2022
    • United States
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Waiting for North Korea to escalate

    Martin Weiser
    With Pyongyang ramping up its missile testing, it’s unclear whether they’re looking for a deal or a provocation.
  • 11 Mar 2022
    • South Korea

    From Moon to Yoon: will the Korean peninsula see fire and fury return?

    Khang Vu
    South Korea’s election result again proves the adage that governments lose more than oppositions win.
  • 9 Feb 2022
    • South Korea

    A foreign policy cheat sheet for South Korea’s presidential election

    Khang Vu
    Liberal and conservative candidates bring distinct traits to office. But after polling day, the shackles could come off.
  • 17 Jan 2022
    • Australia
    • South Korea

    South Korea’s embrace of Australia goes beyond China

    Chris Khatouki
    Seoul confronts a panoply of regional challenges – not least that from the other big trading partner in Asia.
  • 10 Jan 2022
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Koreas: A tale of two Olympics

    Khang Vu
    Moon Jae-in won’t finish his presidency with the podium finish he’d dreamed of four years ago.
  • 16 Dec 2021
    • Australia
    • South Korea

    Australia’s “China” blinders on South Korea

    Jeffrey Robertson
    By focusing on the elephant, Australia risks misunderstanding the room.
  • 2 Dec 2021
    • Defence & Security
    • United States
    • United Nations
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    Honouring the dead on the path to Korean peace

    Khang Vu
    Recovering troop remains and negotiating denuclearisation are vital to end-of-war declarations on the Korean peninsula.
  • 19 Nov 2021
    • South Korea

    Time for South Korea to abandon the “middle power” moniker

    Jeffrey Robertson
    In the end, it’s not a term that helps people to understand policy and policy choices.
  • 12 Oct 2021
    • Australia and Asia
    • South Korea

    Australia-Korea minilateral: A potential win-win

    Hayley Channer
    Middle powers can reap the rewards of cooperation on security, cyber and democratic systems.
  • 6 Oct 2021
    • United States
    • North Korea
    • South Korea

    With Biden’s lukewarm diplomacy, North Korea runs hot and cold

    Khang Vu
    The vague North Korea policy from the White House has left all parties unsure what the United States hopes to achieve.
  • 16 Sep 2021
    • North Korea
    • South Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • United States

    North Korea’s calculated restraint

    Khang Vu
    Pyongyang is giving Washington a taste of its own “strategic patience” medicine.
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