State-Society Relations
THAAD and the Great Power Context III: The Quiet Exception in Russian Geopolitics
Continuing his analysis of Russia’s position on THAAD from a regional security perspective, Anthony Rinna seeks to extrapolate some of the economic and geopolitical issues lying behind the THAAD factor in Russia-South Korea bilateral relations.
South Korea’s Identity Gap: Diverging Views on North Korea
How close do South Korean youth feel to North Korea vis-a-vis their older compatriots? What do they think about the reunification of a nation long divided? Reviewing the latest survey data and fresh evidence from qualitative interviews, Phillip Lee and Steven Denney confirm what many have long suspected: a growing identity gap.
Four Salient Martial Orientations: A Review of Park Chung Hee and Modern Korea
The first volume of a new series on Park Chung-hee marks a step forward for our understanding of Park’s roots. The advance may be even greater where the structure of early 20th century Japanese rule in Northeast Asia is concerned. Writing exclusively for Sino-NK, Clark Sorenson (University of Washington) reviews the new text.
THAAD and the Politicization of Missile Defense in South Korea
THAAD is a hot issue in South Korea today. There is conflict over the safety of the system, as well as popular anger at the government’s failure to consult the public at either the local or national level prior to announcing THAAD deployment. This has reinvigorated concerns over the relationship between democracy and the core tenets of the US-ROK alliance. Darcie Draudt investigates.
It’s Not About the Moon: The Military and Economic Logics to South Korean Space Exploration
The University of Washington’s Clint Work and Kim Seon-hee pen a critical overview of recent developments in South Korea’s space program, highlighting the military and economic logics behind the country’s interest in tackling humanity’s last frontier.