Jammed Allies: The Ironclad ROK‐U.S. Alliance and China as a Gray Actor

Ban, Kil Joo

doi:10.1111/aspp.12539

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 27 publications

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“…Internal competition among allies is taken into consideration as one of the factors to affect alliance cohesion and "collective capability" (Niou and Zeigler 2019). The impact of a gray actor as a third party on alliance cohesion is investigated while China is characterized as a gray player (Ban 2020).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alliance Vulnerability and its Remedies: Tracing the Abandonment of Kurds and South Korea Under the Trump Administration

Ban¹

2021

kjis

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Kiljoo BanAlliances serve as a security guarantor but this is not always the case in the sense that allies struggle with the of abandonment and entrapment. The U.S. abandoned its local ally in northern Syria, the Kurds, by withdrawing its soldiers in October 2019, allowing the Turkish military to bomb them. An asymmetric partner vows to ally with a strong partner even in a situation where the former is aware of the latter's potential betrayal. This bond can only result in tragedy. Which condition makes abandonment and/or entrapment more likely? Two key variables serve as the mechanism for alliances between actors-power parity and the nature of the bond, both of which lead to four different outcomes. A symmetric and institutionalized alliance is the most stable and thus, least likely to result in abandonment and entrapment. By contrast, an asymmetric and non-institutionalized alliance is likely to be the most tragic. This analysis offers insight into political and policy implications. In particular, the lessons learned from the U.S.'s abandonment of the Kurds might help provide the Republic of Korea (ROK) to avoid this tragic step a scenario they experienced once before in 1950 shortly before the outbreak of the Korean War.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alliance Vulnerability and its Remedies: Tracing the Abandonment of Kurds and South Korea Under the Trump Administration

Ban¹

2021

kjis

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Bolstering the Alliance for a Trilateralism‐Based Security Strategy for South Korea in Times of US–China Rivalry*

Nam

Song²

2022

Pacific Focus

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As the strategic competition between the United States and China intensifies, South Korea is facing growing pressure to chart an optimal diplomatic strategy to navigate the convoluted geopolitics and foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. At this crucial juncture, this study examines multi‐faceted, capacity‐building measures for peace aimed at precluding Sino–US friction in the East and South China Seas from spilling over into the Korean Peninsula. This article presents a road map to stimulate and reinvigorate security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan and economic cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan in a virtuous cycle, and by extension to craft a dialogue channel among South Korea, the United States, and China. It also puts forward a three‐stage program for the evolution of the South Korea–US alliance whereby South Korea secures flexibility in its approach to China based on the robust trust of the alliance. This is to enable South Korea to assume a key role in connecting the three trilateral cooperation channels with the development of the Seoul–Washington alliance being a key driver to expand Seoul's diplomatic capacity. In the end, this study envisions a foreign policy model for South Korea that would allow the middle‐power country to punch above its weight by expanding the framework of cooperative security. It aims to ultimately pursue a multilateral, common security architecture in Northeast Asia, including China, which will serve as a multilayered catalyst to promote lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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Jammed Allies: The Ironclad ROK‐U.S. Alliance and China as a Gray Actor

Cited by 2 publications

References 27 publications

Alliance Vulnerability and its Remedies: Tracing the Abandonment of Kurds and South Korea Under the Trump Administration

Alliance Vulnerability and its Remedies: Tracing the Abandonment of Kurds and South Korea Under the Trump Administration

Bolstering the Alliance for a Trilateralism‐Based Security Strategy for South Korea in Times of US–China Rivalry*

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