1st Edition

The United States and the Korean Peninsula in the 21st Century

By Tae-Hwan Kwak, Seung-Ho Joo Copyright 2006
    220 Pages
    by Routledge

    220 Pages
    by Routledge

    In the post-Cold War era, US relations with the two Korean states - the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - have been undergoing profound changes, with critical and immediate repercussions for peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia. This volume examines the key political, security and economic aspects of US-ROK and US-DPRK relations, focusing on the current status, salient issues and future prospects. Drs Kwak and Joo are distinguished professionals in the field and their volume constitutes a very interesting addition to the available literature.

    Contents: Introduction, Tae-Hwan Kwak and Seung-Ho Joo; The six-party nuclear talks and the Korean peninsula peace regime initiative: a framework for implementation, Tae-Hwan Kwak; US-ROK relations: the political-diplomatic dimension, Seung-Ho Joo; Korea, the US, China and Japan: the rise of Asian regionalism, Claude E. Barfield and Jason Bolton; The realignment of USFK and the US-ROK alliance in transition, Seong-Ryoul Cho; Assessing the present and charting the future of US-DPRK relations: the political-diplomatic dimension of the nuclear confrontation, Bruce E. Bechtol, Jr; US-DPRK relations: the nuclear issue, Edward A. Olsen; Retraining the hegemon: North Korea, the US and asymmetrical deterrence, Terence Roehrig; Stability with uncertainties: US-China relations and the Korean Peninsula, Fei-Ling Wang; Index.

    Biography

    Tae-Hwan Kwak is Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Eastern Kentucky University, USA. He is a specialist in East Asian affairs, international politics and foreign policy and is currently visiting professor at Graduate School of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University. He is the editor and co-editor of 24 books, including The Korean Peace Process and the Four Powers (Ashgate, 2003). Dr Kwak has contributed more than 60 book chapters and published more than 200 articles. He is a regular columnist for Local Self-Government (Jibangjachi in Korean) and freelances for Korean daily newspapers, monthly magazines and the Internet. Seung-Ho Joo is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Morris, USA. His fields of expertise include Russian foreign policy, East Asian international relations and Korean foreign relations. Dr Joo is Associate Editor for North America for the journal Pacific Focus. He has authored over 40 book chapters and journal articles, including Korean Peace Process and the Four Powers (Ashgate, 2003).