Reassurance on the Korean Peninsula

Workshop on Reassurance Measures on the Korean Peninsula

17–18 October 2025

Tokyo, Japan

Amid heightened tensions and urgency on the Korean Peninsula—where the positions of the parties remain deeply divided, military preparations are escalating, and no official dialogue is taking place—the Toda Peace Institute convened an international research group to explore constructive alternatives to deterrence. This workshop focussed on developing reassurance measures as practical pathways to reducing risks of armed conflict in the region.

Purpose of the Research Cluster

The Toda Research Cluster (TRC) on Reassurance on the Korean Peninsula was established to explore practical steps that parties affected by the tensions on the Korean Peninsula might take to build confidence, reassure one another, and move beyond an exclusive reliance on deterrence strategies. To this end, the Institute brought together scholars and former policymakers from South Korea, the United States, Mainland China, and Japan to contribute to this international study group.

Building the Dialogue

The TRC convened two virtual meetings (18 July and 17 September 2025) and a third in-person workshop in Tokyo, on 17-18 October 2025.

The convenor, Professor Jong Kun Choi, will prepare a comprehensive report summarising the main findings of the discussions. In addition, TRC members have contributed individual policy briefs that offer perspectives from their respective national contexts. These papers will be published in a special issue of a journal, Global Asia.

The Tokyo Workshop focused on:

1. Examining preventive diplomacy efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Discussing the interplay between deterrence and strategic reassurance.

3. Identifying credible assurances that parties can offer to one another.

4. Developing practical proposals for reducing tensions and enhancing mutual understanding

- Between North and South Koreas

- Between North Korea and the United States

- Among the United States, China and Russia in relation to a divided Korea.

By advancing these discussions, the workshop hoped to contribute to the broader goal of promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, with broader implications for regional and global security.

Further Reading

Papers on past research clusters on reassurance measures in Northeast Asia are available here.

Image: Anton Balazh/Shutterstock.com