Curated expert opinion on intractable contemporary issues

Global Outlook: Peace and Security in Northeast Asia

Northeast Asia Prospects after the G7: High Winds, Choppy Waters and Even Dangerous Storms

By Hugh Miall  |  20 June, 2023

Tensions remain high in Northeast Asia following the G7 summit, which asserted the principles of the US-led order rather than seeking to accommodate the conflicting interests and orders in the region.

Does Yoon’s Year of Values Diplomacy Deserve a Passing Grade?

By Chung-in Moon  |  31 May, 2023

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.

De-Risking, Not De-Coupling: Is It More Than A Smart Shift In Terminology?

By Herbert Wulf  |  26 May, 2023

How to deal with China? The Western industrialised countries have been trying for some time to find a convincing China strategy. The seven major economic powers that make up the G7 agree that it is not a matter of de-coupling economically from China, but of avoiding risks and reducing dependencies. This strategy is now referred to by the catchy Anglo-Saxon term "de-risking".

Whom Does the Shift from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific Serve?

By Chung-in Moon  |  16 May, 2023

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.

Nuclear Weapons May Not Be In Seoul’s Best Interest

By Ramesh Thakur  |  15 May, 2023

In January this year President Yoon Suk-yeol became the first incumbent South Korean president to raise the possibility of an indigenous bomb for South Korea. But going nuclear would likely hurt rather than enhance South Korea’s global prestige.

Nuclear Clouds Over the 38th Parallel

By Herbert Wulf  |  11 May, 2023

North Korea has continued to advance its nuclear weapons program and has launched more than 100 missiles since the beginning of 2022, some with intercontinental range. In South Korea, this is causing unrest and fears of an attack from the North. The government and a large majority of the population are uncertain about the credibility of US protection. According to polls, more than 70 percent of South Koreans are in favour of their own nuclear armament.

The views and opinions expressed in Global Outlook are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toda Peace Institute.