New Security Nexus Perspective: The Cage of Equidistance
India’s bid to remain equidistant between Russia, China, and the U.S. is no longer sustainable. This Security Nexus article explores how strategic autonomy risks becoming constraint.
Do States Act Rationally?
The article discusses the concept of rationality and its evolution, the state of the art on state rationality, and the strategic thinking of 14 states in the Indo-Pacific, including the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Yoon’s Foreign Policy Falls Short of “Global Pivotal State” Vision
In Foreign Policy, Dr. Lami Kim evaluates the foreign policy legacy of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in her article, “Yoon’s Disappointing Foreign-Policy Legacy.” Yoon, who was impeached and removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 4, had pledged to transform South Korea into a “global pivotal state.” While his Indo-Pacific strategy aligned closely with U.S. regional objectives, it lacked concrete measures to achieve its stated goals, such as maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait and ensuring freedom of navigation. As Kim notes, “the strategy appeared more aspirational than strategic.”
Coups and Civil-Military relations in South Korea
Dr. Lami Kim has a new article in Foreign Policy on the recent self-coup and martial law attempt by President Yoon in South Korea. The article, “Yoon’s Coup Attempt Shows Sad State of Civil-Military Relations,” provides an in-depth look the Republic of Korea’s history of past military dictatorship. According to Kim, “As South Koreans and supporters of democracy around the world anxiously watch how this situation unfolds, it is crucial to learn from what happened. This incident serves as a stark reminder that civil-military relations are never static and can regress without vigilant management. If there is a silver lining to this situation, it is that South Koreans now have an opportunity to confront the lingering legacies of military dictatorship and take definitive steps toward establishing healthy, sustainable civil-military relations.”
Bamboo in a storm: the Russia-Ukraine war and Vietnam’s foreign policy (2022–2024)
Dr. Alexander Vuving has contributed a chapter to the new book “Vietnam: Navigating a Rapidly Changing Economy, Society, and Political Order” by Börje Ljunggren and Dwight Perkins, eds. His chapter is “The Evolution of Vietnamese Foreign Policy in the Doi Moi Era.”
Dr. Alexander Vuving on rapid changes in Vietnam
Dr. Alexander Vuving has contributed a chapter to the new book “Vietnam: Navigating a Rapidly Changing Economy, Society, and Political Order” by Börje Ljunggren and Dwight Perkins, eds. His chapter is “The Evolution of Vietnamese Foreign Policy in the [...]
