Yoon’s Foreign Policy Falls Short of “Global Pivotal State” Vision

By |2025-04-08T11:54:08-10:00April 8th, 2025|Categories: Kim, External Publications, news|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

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.”

Lauren Dickey and DKI APCSS’ Col. Matthew Kent Call for a Reassessment of U.S. Policy on Taiwan in War on the Rocks

By |2024-12-10T14:37:14-10:00December 10th, 2024|Categories: External Publications, news, kent|Tags: , , , , , |

“This is Not the Status Quo You’re Looking For” by Lauren Dickey and DKI APCSS’ Col. Matthew Kent was recently published by War on the Rocks. In the article, the authors argue that the United States’ longstanding policy of maintaining the “status quo” on Taiwan is increasingly misaligned with contemporary geostrategic realities. Rooted in Cold War-era agreements, the policy aims to deter hostilities by avoiding an official stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty. However, this approach has not accounted for China’s use of gray zone tactics—subtle, coercive measures that fall short of provoking military conflict but aim to achieve political objectives.  According to the authors,  the “status quo,” once effective in a very different geopolitical landscape, now risks enabling China’s aggressive posturing and undermining Taiwan’s security.

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