Policy Briefs and Reports

This report examines the relative decline of American power and status in East Asia, through a South Korean perspective. An ‘East Asia without the United States’ was once unthinkable because the American economic and military presence in the region was so dominant and beneficial to many of its countries. Hence, intellectuals in East Asian countries have begun to broaden their views on the matter and craft new narratives about America’s role in the area. This work addresses the convoluted dynamics that arise from this changing role of the world’s foremost superpower.

This report addresses the denuclearization of North Korea which remains an indispensable objective not only for Japan but for the entire international community. Complete denuclearization has become a long-term goal rather than an immediately achievable outcome. The international community must simultaneously prevent North Korea from further expanding its nuclear arsenal and ensure that these weapons are never used. This dual approach—pursuing denuclearization while managing immediate nuclear risks—requires careful coordination among Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States.

This policy brief reviews the lessons of academic scholarship on deterrence and assurance in order to unpack how and why tools of assurance work. In pursuit of stable deterrence on the Korean Peninsula, all parties ought to be reassuring one another. While there are trade-offs between communicating deterrence and reassuring adversaries, both are necessary for a stable relationship and reducing the probability of crisis or war. First, I offer definitions for key terms. Second, I review scholarly findings on credible communication and signalling. Third, I apply theory to the policy problem of stabilizing the Korean Peninsula.