Summary Report No.257: Toward Mutual Reassurance on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia

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This report synthesizes the findings of the 2025 Toda Research Cluster on Reassurance on the Korean Peninsula, bringing together theoretical, national, and policy perspectives from the United States, South Korea, Japan, China, and Russia. In the context of rising great-power rivalry and the consolidation of competing blocs, the contributors argue that deterrence alone cannot sustain stability. Drawing on insights from the five core papers, the report identifies mutual reassurance as an essential complement to deterrence. The analysis highlights converging recommendations for arms control-based risk reduction, revitalized inter-Korean and multilateral channels, calibrated adjustments to alliance posture, and leadership-level credibility. While acknowledging the long-term goal of denuclearization, the report emphasizes pragmatic pathways for near-term stabilization, offering a structured framework for building a durable reassurance architecture in Northeast Asia.