Yoon Suk-yeol — 9DASHLINE

“Whatever it takes”? Securing the return of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea

Written by Dr James Kaizuka

“Whatever it takes” ultimately means squaring the circle of North Korea’s likely demands with what the Japanese public is willing to accept as an offering to a dictatorship which may well use any inducement against it in the future.

Faultlines, East Asia9DLMarch 14, 2024“Whatever it takes”? Securing the return of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, Dr James Kaizuka, 9Dashline, Japan, North Korea, 2024 Noto Earthquake, South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, Kim Jong-un, Kishida Fumio, Japan North Korea Summit, Kim Jong-il, abductions, North Korea missile tests, North Korea Nuclear Weapons

The significance of North Korea's spy satellite launch for regional security

Written by Wooyun Jo

The spy satellite launch reinforces the need for vigilant monitoring and surveillance to assess the capabilities and intentions of North Korea, as well as to strengthen regional defence against potential nuclear missile attacks.

East Asia9DLJanuary 17, 20249dashline, The significance of North Korea's spy satellite launch for regional security, Wooyun Jo, North Korea, spy satellite, regional security, MALLIGYONG-1, South Korea, US, Japan, Korean Peninsula, Missile Technology Control Regime, satellite technology, Russia, critical technologies, heavy artillery ammunition, Moscow, Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine, technology transfer, military capabilities, spy satellite launch, inter-Korean relationship, Pyongyang, technological advancement, espionage, hostile nations, regional security dynamics, countering threats, detecting threats, long-range ballistic missile technology, United Nations, United Nations resolutions, UNSC, Vann Van Diepen, new technology, troop movements, strategic advantages, nuclear deterrence, intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, SLBMs, strategic bombers, intelligence-gathering capabilities, strategic assets, real-time intelligence, missiles technology, ballistic missile tests, security interests, regional allies, Yoon Suk-yeol, satellite launch, threat perception, nuclear tensions, space programme, missile capabilities, regional cooperation, deterrence measures, ROK-US-Japan, surveillance, security cooperation, General Security of Military Information Agreement, GSOMIA, Tokyo, ballistic missile defence drill, anti-submarine exercises, trilaterals, missile defence systems, joint military exercises, sanctions, nuclear programmes, missile programmes, economic sanctions, Seoul, Washington

Evaluating South Korea's democratic backsliding

Written by Dr Mi-son Kim

The current state of South Korean politics suggests that the country is at a critical moment that could determine its fate: democratic backsliding or consolidation.

East Asia9DLOctober 9, 20239dashline, Evaluating South Korea's democratic backsliding, Dr Mi-son Kim, Park Geun-hye, South Korea, impeachment, abuse of power, corruption, Constitutional Court of Korea, candlelight protests, protests, demonstrations, democratic consolidation, President Park, partisan polarisation, concentration of power, Moon Jae-in, Yoon Suk-yeol, weak legislature, Park administration, opposition parties, Labour Reform Act, Service Industry Development Act, bipartisan bill, National Assembly Act, Saenuri Party, democratic transition, veto, Yoo Seung-min, cabinet appointments, presidential impeachment, Democratic Party, Supreme Prosecutor, Korean presidents, National Intelligence Service, Yoon administration, Han Dong-hoon, Park Geun-hye administration, personalist political systems, Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea, nuclear, US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, Sewol ferry, Japan, hyper-partisan, hostile rhetoric, Lee Myung-bak, coercive state apparatuses, Board of Audit and Inspection, Anything but Moon (ABM), political volatility, democratic backsliding

Is the South Korea-Japan-US summit a breakthrough?

Written by Abhishek Sharma

The trilateral summit is a stepping stone towards countering the DPRK and strengthening regional security; however, its success will only be judged in the face of changing politics in the respective capitals.

No country for asylum-seekers: The complexity of refugee protection in South Korea

Written by Dr Angela Y. McClean

South Korea’s migration agenda has primarily been utilitarian, prioritising migrant populations that are deemed undisruptive to the Korean social and ethnic makeup, and necessary to the development of the nation, while imposing restrictions on those who are not.

In Conversation with Hawon Jung

9DASHLINE recently had the chance to speak with Hawon Jung about her important new book Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea's Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women's Rights Worldwide.

'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo — A false spring?

Written by Kevin Gray

The apparent ‘thaw’ of Korea-Japan relations is likely to be a ‘false spring’ rather than a genuine new era of bilateral relations and broader regional cooperation.

East Asia9DLApril 7, 20239dashline, 'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo - a false spring?, south korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, japan, Fumio Kishida, diplomatic relations, wartime forced labour, bilateral relations, Korean Supreme Court, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Korean families, WW2, forced labour, Kevin Gray, compensation for victims, financial compensation, export restrictions, key chemical exports, semiconductors, public outrage, Japanese goods, bilateral cooperation, regional ramifications, trilateral Japan-South Korea-US cooperation, China, North Korea, Japan-South Korea-US cooperation, Washington, trilateral alliance, security realm, military intelligence-sharing pact, Biden administration, Seoul, Anthony Blinken, ROK, allies, reconciliation, colonised country, colonising country, historical animosities., Park Jin, Foreign Minister Park Jin, Tokyo, apologies, wartime sexual slavery, Shinzo Abe, Japanese history textbooks, Japanese war crimes, colonial history, comfort women, 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement, comfort women statues, grievances, geopolitical imperatives, decolonisation, Cold War imperatives, 1965 Treaty of Basic Relations, Park Chung-hee, developmental drive, popular protests, private claims for compensation, historical injustices, Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, candlelight revolution, Democratic Party, Yoon government, Dokdo/Takeshima, 'Thawing' between Seoul and Tokyo — a false spring?, 'THAWING' BETWEEN SEOUL AND TOKYO — A FALSE SPRING?

“Nuke for nuke” — Kim Jong-un’s audacious escalation gambit

Written by Kylie Jones

To avoid a devasting conflict, the United States needs to persuade Kim Jong-un that salvaging relations between the two countries is in his best interest.

Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy will not make big waves in Southeast Asia

Written by Alessandro Vesprini and Matteo Piasentini

The best option for South Korea is to double down on diplomacy, economic ties, and military sales, as well as tighten the dialogue with like-minded middle powers in the region.

East Asia9DLFebruary 28, 20239dashline, Seoul’s Indo-Pacific strategy will not make big waves in Southeast Asia, Alessandro Vesprini, Matteo Piasentini, Seoul, south korea, Southeast Asia, 23rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ROK, ASEAN summit, ASEAN-ROK summit, Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region, Indo-Pacific, Yoon, Yoon Suk-yeol, rules-based order, New Southern Policy, Moon Jae-in, China, Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative, KASI, ASEAN Member States, ASMs, Indo-Pacific Strategy, rules-based international order, United States, US, Beijing, People, Prosperity, and Peace, NSP Plus, economic cooperation, bilateral relationships, principles of cooperation, Inclusiveness, Trust, and Reciprocity, building regional order, rule of law, human rights, non-proliferation, counter-terrorism, security cooperation, security and defence, Mekong-ROK, New Northern Policy, Pyongyang, strategic partnerships, multilateral trade deals, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Asia Power Index, ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, AOIP, mechanisms of conflict management, 2022 ASEAN Summit, South China Sea, Global Pivotal Power, military capabilities, strategic constraints, security dialogue initiatives, autonomous foreign policy, US-China competition, North Korea, inter-Korean relations, soft power

Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law

Written by Hannes B. Mosler

Alongside Japan, South Korea plays a central role for Western allies in the region to support value-based multilateralism with liberal-democratic principles and norms at its core.

Power Politics9DLFebruary 21, 20239dashline, Political pardons in South Korea: President Yoon’s relationship to rule of law, HANNES B. MOSLER, political pardons, South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, rule of law, Indo-Pacific Strategy, foreign policy strategy, international norms, rules-based order, freedom, democracy, human rights, US, Japan, EU, germany, China, Russia, North Korea, value-based multilateralism, liberal-democratic principles, Global Pivotal State, corruption, election, workers rights, UN International Labor Organization, ILO, freedom of association, freedom of the press, MBC, members of congress, International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, constitutional complaint, pardon, bribery, election interference, white-collar crimes, Lee Myung-bak, embezzlement, tax evasion, prison sentence, fines, Won Se-hoon, smear campaigns, presidential election, influence-peddling scandal, impeachment, abuse of power, officials, high-ranking officials, Kim Ki-chun, Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye, Park scandal, special pardons, reconciliation, mass mercy, Democratic Party, amnesty, political gains, democratic deterioration

Forum 2023: Intra-Indo-Pacific cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea

9DASHLINE invites several experts to assess the prospect of security-oriented cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea. Given potential threats like an increasingly assertive China and a nuclear-armed North Korea, how can New Delhi, Tokyo, and Seoul benefit from increased cooperation?

East Asia9DLFebruary 3, 20239dashline, Forum 2023: Intra-Indo-Pacific cooperation between India, Japan, and South Korea, India, South Korea, Indo-Pacific, DR ANIT MUKHERJEE, China, India-South Korea, naval cooperation, maritime exercises, anti-submarine warfare, arms trade, defence, Quad, Australia, US, multilateral exercise, Franco-Japanese bilateral exercises, military, military intelligence, emerging technologies, NAZIA HUSSAIN, power rivalry, middle powers, minilateral groupings, Japan-India Maritime Exercise, JIMEX, Malabar exercises, Yoon Suk-yeol, US-China contest, Quad Plus, Milan naval exercise, counter-piracy capabilities, ABHIJIT SINGH, Special Strategic and Global Partners, New Delhi, strategic relations, 2+2 Ministerial Dialogues, India-Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, military supplies, maritime cooperation, defence trade, intelligence sharing, cyber cooperation, space cooperation, Russia-Ukraine war, Tokyo, North Korea, defence technology, regional security footprint

2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions

Should South Korea develop its own nuclear weapons? 9DASHLINE invites a select group of experts to assess the viability of this proposition and its potential impact.

East Asia9DLJanuary 27, 20239dashline, 2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions, ELISABETH SUH, DR ERIC J. BALLBACH, South Korea, North Korea, Korean Peninsula, nuclear, nuclear weapons, missile launches, nuclear-armed regime, nuclear imbalance, Seoul, independent arsenal, US tactical nuclear weapons, US, US-South Korea alliance, Washington, Joint Declaration on Denuclearization, nuclear arms race, nuclear program, Yoon Suk-yeol, nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile tests, artificial nuclear warheads, military command facilities, nuclear-sharing arrangement, nuclearisation, defence budget, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, ISR, nuclear proliferation, nuclear deterrence, civilian nuclear power program, military program, weapons-grade fissile material, nuclear explosives, nuclear warheads, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, international sanctions, 123 Agreement, conventional triad, air and missile defence systems, Short-Range Ballistic Missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, defensive missile technologies, offensive missile technologies, pre-emptive strikes, retaliatory strikes, forward-deployed tactical nuclear weapons, US extended deterrence, China, Article X, negotiation, non-proliferation regime, global non-proliferation regime, DR IN YOUNG MIN, DR MIN-HYUNG KIM

Attentive friends, busy enemies, and a bright future — 2023 for North Korea

Written by Benedikt Staar

North Korean politics are strongly influenced by the regime’s friends, its enemies, and its own ambitions. As it turns out, things look promising for Pyongyang on all three fronts.

Japan’s ‘history problem’ lingers on after Abe

Written by Chris Deacon

Almost eight decades after the end of the Second World War, the legacy of Japan’s military expansionism and colonial rule across the Pacific continues to haunt its contemporary international politics, particularly within Northeast Asia.

Faultlines9DLDecember 8, 20229DashLine, Chris Deacon, Japan’s ‘history problem’ lingers on after Abe, Japan, South Korea, WWII, military expansionism, colonial rule, Northeast Asia, bilateral antagonism, Beijing, South Korea-Japan relations, wartime forced labour, Tokyo, Seoul, regional relations, alliance politics, Asia Pacific, United States, Washington, China, North Korea, historical antagonisms, growing nationalism, historical revisionism, Abe Shinzō, Shinzo Abe, post-Abe era, nationalism, revisionism, Japanese school textbooks, comfort women, Japanese government, constitutional restrictions, armed forces, defence cooperation, Kishi Nobusuke, foreign relations, Yasukuni Shrine, Park Geun-hye, Dokdo/Takeshima, Yasukuni, Moon Jae-in, compensation for victims, trade restrictions, Kishida Fumio, Fumio Kishida, revisionist policies, wartime labourers, UNESCO, Sado mine complex, Yoon Suk-yeol, mutual antagonism, national identity, Japanese national identity, Korea fatigue, national identity narratives, 2015 ‘comfort women’ agreement, nation-building narratives, bilateral cooperation, Japan-South Korea bilateral cooperation, identity constructs

Seoul cannot have a credible Indo-Pacific strategy without Taiwan

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and Tereza Novotna

Much of this is also about how far Seoul will be prepared to join many of its partners in working with Taiwan. In other words, if South Korea wants to play a bigger role in the Indo-Pacific, it is high time that Seoul joins the ‘Taiwan club’.

East Asia9DLSeptember 9, 20229DashLine, Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Tereza Novotna, Seoul cannot have a credible Indo-Pacific strategy without Taiwan, Republic of Korea, south korea, China, PRC, Taiwan, japan, Shinzo Abe, USA, Yoon Suk-yeol, semiconductors, Nancy Pelosi, Indo-Pacific, Beijing, Seoul, Taiwan Strait, Tokyo, middle power, Security, Washington, Park Jin, india, Australia, defence, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, EU, Brussels, European Parliament, Covid, Global Cooperation and Training Framework, GCTF, Taipei, quad, Nobuo Kishi, US-Japan Security Consultative Committee, Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, Pelosi, People’s Republic of China, Korea, South Korea, Japan, India, COVID, COVID19, Taiwan Model, Europe, Xi Jinping, hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, THAAD, Quad, Quaderateral Security Dialogue, SCRI, Delhi, Taiwan Club, Russia, Ukraine

South Korea eyes Europe for its future

Written by Eunwoo Lee

South Korea, whose external engagement has so far revolved around the intractable security stances of the US and China, can surely hedge its security interests by embracing Europe.

Is South Korea’s new Indo-Pacific strategy finally forthcoming?

Written by Wongi Choe

In contrast to the previous Moon Jae-in administration of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the new Yoon Suk-yeol government is highly likely to take on a new broader regional strategy with a comprehensive Indo-Pacific framework at its core.

Evolution, not revolution, will define Yoon’s foreign policy

Written by Ramon Pacheco Pardo

As for Yoon’s approach toward the Indo-Pacific, we can expect Yoon to seek to boost security cooperation with the US — above all — Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe to contain China’s behaviour in the region.