South Korea’s Offensive Military Strategy and Its Dilemma

By |2024-03-01T16:15:44-10:00March 1st, 2024|Categories: Faculty Articles, External Publications, news, Cho|Tags: , , |

Dr. Sungmin Cho’s article, recently published by CSIS, sheds light on South Korea’s offensive military strategy amid shifting dynamics with North Korea. While North Korea’s recent stance has sparked debates, Cho highlights the significance of understanding South Korea’s approach. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik’s emphasis on immediate and forceful responses underscores South Korea’s defensive intent, though uncertainties remain regarding Pyongyang’s perceptions and the management of escalating risks. Cho delves into the evolution of South Korea’s offensive doctrine, notably its "three-axis system," illustrating the nation’s reliance on advanced capabilities to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat. However, concerns arise regarding the legality and [...]

Chinese Views of North Korea’s Uncertain Future

By |2023-10-20T13:51:10-10:00October 20th, 2023|Categories: Courses, news, Cho, Media|Tags: , , , |

Dr. Sungmin Cho, professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, presented research during a program organized by The Korea Society. The research analyzed Chinese texts focusing on North Korea's regime stability, the country's uncertain future, and the potential unification of the Korean Peninsula. The research encompasses a review of 62 Chinese journal articles and 29 expert commentaries written by Chinese scholars. Cho explains how examining the writings of Chinese civilian scholars helps decipher Chinese strategic thinking despite censorship. Cho also provides an analytic framework for Beijing’s cost-benefit calculus regarding the potential unification of the Korean [...]

Dr. Sungmin Cho Discusses South Korea’s role in a Taiwan Contingency on the CSIS Podcast

By |2023-09-21T16:20:18-10:00September 21st, 2023|Categories: Courses, news, Cho, Media|Tags: , , |

DKI APCSS professor Dr. Sungmin Cho recently appeared on the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) podcast titled "South Korea's Role in Taiwan Contingency." The popular podcast can be found on YouTube. Dr. Sungmin Cho is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) in Honolulu. The views expressed are those of the author alone and do not represent the official policy of the DKI APCSS, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Professors Cho and Kim publish articles on strengthening ROK-US critical technologies

By |2023-07-26T17:05:27-10:00July 26th, 2023|Categories: Faculty Articles, Kim, External Publications, news, Cho|Tags: , , , |

In a report published by the Pacific Forum, professors Sungmin Cho and Lami Kim contribute articles exploring the evolving U.S.-South Korea alliance through technology and cybersecurity. Cho’s chapter titled “The Geopolitics of Semiconductor Cooperation among the United States, Korea, and China.” takes a deep dive into the geopolitics of semiconductor cooperation among the three countries. Kim’s chapter, titled "5G/6G, Cybersecurity and US-South Korea Cooperation,” investigates the possibilities of U.S.-South Korea collaboration on cybersecurity, focusing on the implications of 5G and 6G technologies. The overall publication emphasizes the need to adapt and fortify the U.S.-South Korea alliance amid swift advancements in [...]

Nationalism versus liberalism: A South Korean view of the Taiwan issues

By |2023-05-08T10:30:33-10:00May 8th, 2023|Categories: Faculty Articles, news, Cho|Tags: , , |

At the invitation of Brookings Institution, Dr. Sungmin Cho contributed an essay for its Taiwan-U.S. Quarterly Analysis series. In this essay, Dr. Cho explains, “The Taiwan issue is often viewed by leaders of the United States and its allies as a contest between democracy and authoritarianism. From a South Korean perspective, however, the Taiwan issue also represents a clash between nationalism and liberalism.” Dr. Cho argues, “While nationalism emphasizes the importance of the group over the individual, liberalism privileges the individual. From a nationalist perspective, individuals are expected to align their preferences with the goals of the nation. However, young [...]

Has China’s Economic Development Led to the Democratization of China?

By |2023-01-06T14:27:10-10:00January 6th, 2023|Categories: Faculty Articles, news, Cho|Tags: , , |

Dr.Sungmin Cho has published a new article titled “Does China’s Case Falsify Modernization Theory? Interim Assessment,” in the Journal of Contemporary China. Using the political science theory of modernization, Dr. Cho revisits the question of whether China's economic development has brought democratic changes in China or not. While the modernization theory suggests that economic development should lead to democratization, many analysts have claimed that China has not made democratic progress at all, despite its economic growth. By comparing these two competing perspectives and examining the evidence behind each assessment, Dr.Cho argues that there has been a certain degree of democratic [...]

How South Korea Can Contribute to the Defense of Taiwan

By |2022-10-24T15:22:36-10:00October 24th, 2022|Categories: news, Cho|Tags: , , , |

Dr. Sungmin Cho has a new co-authored paper titled “How South Korea can contribute to the defense of Taiwan” published in the Washington Quarterly. According to Cho, “It remains unclear what South Korea can and should do in a Taiwan contingency. US-China competition is currently fiercest over this issue—it is the most likely potential cause of a great-power war between the two sides. Preventing this outcome through enhanced deterrence depends on the policies of US allies like South Korea. What can South Korea do to support US-led efforts, and what are the major hurdles in attaining deeper bilateral cooperation on [...]

Dr. Sungmin Cho Presents at the 22nd Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul

By |2022-07-21T08:25:55-10:00July 20th, 2022|Categories: College, Faculty Articles, news, Cho|Tags: , |

On July 14, DKI APCSS professor Dr. Sungmin Cho joined a panel of experts to discuss North Korea’s most recent nuclear tests and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.  In his remarks Dr. Cho presented his analyses on (1) the Chinese view of North Korea’s military provocations in 2022, (2) the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the Korean Peninsula, and (3) the possibility of North Korea’s 7th nuclear test. The session included panelists Dr. Victor Cha, Senior Vice President for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mr. Ankit Panda, Senior Fellow of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Markus Garlauskas, nonresident [...]

Chinese Democracy: Some Guns and Some Roses?

By |2022-05-23T11:17:44-10:00May 23rd, 2022|Categories: College, news, Cho, Media, featured|Tags: , , , |

DKI APCSS professor Dr. Sungmin Cho recently appeared on the “All Things Policy” podcast hosted by the Takshashila Institution in India. The title of this episode is Chinese Democracy: Some Guns and Some Roses?  According to the podcast summary: “China has tried to define and project itself as a democracy as opposed to the general conception of China as an authoritarian political system. These attempts seem to be not just to highlight China's democratic system, but also to highlight how different it is from the western conception of democracy. In this episode, Megha Pardhi talks to Dr. Sungmin Cho about [...]

DKI APCSS Professor Sungmin Cho Featured on the Nordic Asia Podcast

By |2022-05-03T16:28:29-10:00April 5th, 2022|Categories: College, Faculty Articles, news, Cho, Media, featured|Tags: , , , |

On March 27, the Nordic Asia Podcast featured DKI APCSS professor Dr. Sungmin Cho who spoke on the multi-faceted security dilemmas that beset the Korean Peninsula. In the thirty-minute interview, Dr. Cho forecasted future changes for South Korea’s President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s foreign policy. According to Dr. Cho, while the previous administration utilized a policy of strategic ambiguity, the incoming administration will move forward with strategic clarity. As expected, the new administration will emphasize the U.S.-South Korean Alliance. In regards to its relationship with China, the administration will seek to maintain a positive commercial relationship while avoiding retaliations related to security [...]

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