Conservative candidate Park Geun-hye won victory to become South Korea’s first woman president. Park, the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, beat progressive challenger Moon Jae-in, the chief of staff to former President Roh Moo-hyun. Although both parties shifted toward the center on some foreign policy and economic issues, voters …
In Japan, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) exceeded even the most optimistic predictions by winning a landslide victory in Sunday’s lower house election. LDP Leader Shinzo Abe’s conservative foreign policy views and the Japanese public’s growing concern over China provide an excellent opportunity for Washington to achieve several policy …
North Korea again defied the international community today by launching a Unha-3 rocket, which is the same vehicle as its Taepo Dong-2 ICBM. Despite North Korean claims that the launch was of a civilian satellite, it is a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) …
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is in Asia trying to prevent further escalations in tensions over several territorial disputes. National elections in South Korea and Japan and a leadership transition in China’s Communist Party have fueled a resurgence of nationalism and historical animosities. Although the rhetoric and political posturing is coming …
In recent weeks, Pyongyang has begun yet another charm offensive by reaching out to Beijing, Washington, and Tokyo. The diplomatic initiative follows the anointing of the more dynamic and charismatic Kim Jong-un as leader, leading pundits to perceive subtle new signs of impending North Korean economic reform and a less …
On June 6, the House Foreign Affairs Asian Subcommittee will focus its attention on “What’s Next for the U.S.–Korea Alliance?” Experts agree that the bilateral relationship is very strong—perhaps in the best condition it has ever been. This is due to both nations sharing common values of freedom, democracy, and …
North Korea unveiled a new missile during its April parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung. The missile is assessed to be a new mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Last year, then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates first revealed the existence of a North Korean road-mobile ICBM. …
The United States and Japan released a revised deployment plan for U.S. Marine Corps forces in the Pacific. It is an improvement over the 2006 Guam Agreement, but it still sacrifices alliance military capabilities for political expediency. The new plan is more flexible and operationally focused, since it maintains Marine …
North Korea will defy international pressure and launch its Unha-3 missile, perhaps as early as Wednesday night (Washington, D.C., time). Despite Pyongyang’s characterization of the forthcoming launch as that of a peaceful civilian satellite, it would clearly violate U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that preclude “any launch using ballistic missile …
