If Yoon continues to struggle to find a sensible balance between values and the national interest and to open a new horizon for crisis management and preventive diplomacy, his national security policy and foreign policy seem doomed to fail.

Dramatic changes in a regional order take place as the result of large wars between great powers or internal political changes to these powers, like revolutions. What strikes me as so peculiar is that the Indo-Pacific strategy—first proposed by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then elaborated by US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden—and the resulting new order in the region have emerged as a predominant paradigm in such a short time, even as the previous Asia-Pacific order remains intact.

The world consists of more players than the US’ allies and friends, and conflict and strife generally occur outside the US’ sphere of influence. That’s why China’s Global Security Initiative diplomacy could present a serious challenge to the US’ diplomatic leadership.

The path toward acquiring nuclear weapons could jeopardize Korea’s survival, endanger its prosperity, and damage its prestige in the international community.

On the Korean Peninsula, robust national security and the willingness to wage war are not enough to guarantee peace.

How to de-risk a lexical change that represents dangerous trends: fragmentation, decoupling and confrontation.