Report No.262: Thinking the Unthinkable: An East Asia without the US?

Image: AI generated / shutterstock.com

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.