3 Nov 2025
The logic behind South Korea’s nuclear submarine deal
South Korea is no longer merely buying American security; it is building in interdependence.
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31 Oct 2025
The mystery of South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarines
Another Trump statement that poses a whole lot of unanswered questions. -
23 Oct 2025
South Korea is on track to become a defence powerhouse
Seoul is quietly building a reputation as one of the world’s biggest weapons dealers. What’s behind the push? -
13 Oct 2025
Why the US–Japan–South Korea trilateral agreement must evolve
History shows us that an adaptive coalition built on trust and interoperability can trump formal alliances. -
10 Sep 2025
Canberra needs fewer partners, better focus – and a team-up with Seoul and Delhi offers just that
An Australia-India-South Korea triangle makes sense in an era of uncertainty about the United States. -
9 Sep 2025
Peacemaker, Pacemaker, Playmaker: The three-way formula for engaging North Korea
A coordinated US-South Korea-Japan approach could succeed where previous bilateral efforts with Pyongyang have failed. -
28 Aug 2025
Why France must join: Turning the Quintet into a Sextet
Paris brings territorial legitimacy, EU leverage and military presence that would strengthen any Indo-Pacific grouping. -
28 Aug 2025
Pragmatism reigns as Japan and South Korea look toward the future
Lee and Ishiba’s summit signals a shift from historical grievances to practical cooperation, but politics could derail progress. -
27 Aug 2025
Seoul will struggle to find currency for Pyongyang talks
Without economic incentives or offering entree to the White House, South Korea could find itself sidelined in North Korea diplomacy. -
22 Aug 2025
Why the United Kingdom and the Indo-Pacific Four should form a new Quintet
These five resource-constrained democracies face shared challenges that require coordination beyond existing alliance structures. -
11 Jul 2025
Can Seoul’s soft diplomacy break the Russia–North Korea alliance?
Pyongyang is reaping the benefits of its relationship with Moscow. South Korea’s new president wants to woo them back. -
5 Jun 2025
The transactional worldview of South Korea’s new president
Lee Jae-myung’s pragmatic approach will test alliance limits with America and bring a more ambiguous stance toward China. -
3 Jun 2025
The tariff war that’s accelerating Asia’s trade transformation
As the deadline for suspension looms, regional economies are looking to patch the vulnerabilities of regional economic architecture. -
2 Jun 2025
Seoul’s new leader faces an uphill battle on inter-Korean relations
The new president will need to balance Washington, Pyongyang and Moscow for any hope of peace on the Peninsula. -
29 May 2025
Australia-South Korea: The case for a new maritime focus
The naval relationship between the two nations has plateaued, but there's a way to regain momentum. -
27 May 2025
US troops in Korea may soon switch focus from Pyongyang to Beijing
Could America’s security rejig inadvertently strengthen an alliance between North Korea, China and Russia? -
12 May 2025
Time for a consistent approach to North Korean human rights
South Korea’s upcoming election offers a crucial chance for a policy reset. -
4 Apr 2025
After Yoon’s impeachment: The steep path to get the Koreas talking again
South Korea is headed back to the polls, just like its 2017. But different. -
28 Mar 2025
How far can Canberra and Seoul’s partnership stretch?
For all the talk of alignment, Australia has no influence with North Korea, and South Korea has different interests with China. -
19 Mar 2025
Command and sovereignty: Who controls South Korea’s military in wartime?
Known as “OPCON”, the transfer of operational leadership has long posed a dilemma that has only deepened with Donald Trump’s presidency. -
6 Mar 2025
How US funding cuts could exacerbate North Korea’s humanitarian crisis
Trump’s obsession with getting the deal and an interest in resuming talks with Kim Jong Un all spell trouble for human rights. -
17 Jan 2025
Why South Korea might go nuclear in Trump’s term
Trump’s transactional approach to alliance politics may close the door for more reassurances, pushing South Korea for a deterrence of its own. -
12 Dec 2024
The trouble with Australia’s best friends in Asia
Political turmoil in Japan and South Korea cannot be insulated from relations with the region. -
11 Dec 2024
Korean turmoil: What the North thinks looking South
A “main enemy” suffering disarray at home and ridicule from abroad, Pyongyang might suddenly warm to Yoon Suk-yeol… -
9 Dec 2024
Explaining North Korea’s silence amid South Korea’s political turmoil
Pyongyang has made plain that its attention is firmly elsewhere. -
4 Dec 2024
South Korea’s President must resign
The plotters apparently gave no thought to how South Korea’s liberal international partners would respond. -
4 Dec 2024
Understanding the South Korean crisis and its global implications
The lessons of a self-styled strongman leader overreaching should be a warning to democracies everywhere. -
29 Nov 2024
As traditional “Anglo” international education destinations falter, Asia-Pacific countries look closer to home
Chinese students are largely driving the surge in international students choosing universities across the region. -
25 Oct 2024
South Korea-Indonesia: How a viral moment could have real-world consequences
Warm feelings and popular culture can only go so far. -
23 Sep 2024
Power in Asia: Outliers and curiosities
Some findings of the latest Asia Power Index controvert conventional wisdom. -
16 Sep 2024
North Korean elite defectors on the rise?
South Korea must be careful not to politicise high-level defections from the North. -
16 Aug 2024
Farewell Fumio Kishida – regional foundations are stronger for your legacy
Too much focus on personality politics can obscure the enduring common interests between countries. -
22 Jul 2024
Japan, South Korea and United States: Let’s hope for a robust, lasting pact
The new framework for security cooperation will have important consequences for the region – if it survives domestic politics among the partners. -
2 Jul 2024
Putin goes to Pyongyang: Should we be worried?
The renewed marriage of convenience between Russia and North Korea has global implications. -
1 Jul 2024
South Korea’s nuclear ambition holds a place in the national consciousness
It might seem illogical to the rest of the world, but a sense of vulnerability has a pervasive pull on policy. -
28 Jun 2024
Putin in Asia: Setting a cat among the pigeons
Ever a pragmatist, the Russian leader’s calculated alignments are purely based on needs and interests. -
19 Jun 2024
Koreas policy: Sorting fact with fiction
You can’t understand a country without knowing the stories people like to invent. -
30 May 2024
With balloons in the sky, North Korea keeps its feet on the ground
Just mind not to step in the smelly message. -
2 May 2024
Economic diplomacy: It’s nostalgists vs strategists
As a new Treasurer claims a geo-economic legacy in industrial policy, his predecessor’s once shiny G20 triumph has been dumped. -
15 Apr 2024
Is South Korea’s Indo‑Pacific Strategy a diplomatic lame duck?
After President Yoon’s election defeat, a change in foreign policy is unlikely, but momentum will vanish. -
21 Mar 2024
Economic diplomacy: Politics rules in Korean envoy row
From Seoul to Washington, “captain’s pick” ambassadors are being embroiled by unexpected domestic political tensions. -
6 Mar 2024
A summit between Japan and North Korea? About time
With Kim Jong-un extending an olive branch to Tokyo, high-level talks may be on the cards, but roadblocks remain. -
28 Feb 2024
Can South Korea become a global pivotal state?
With non-permanent member status on the UN Security Council, Seoul has a long list of goals to help make its mark. -
5 Dec 2023
Should Trump win, will Kim Jong-un pick up the phone?
Circumstances have greatly changed since the “bromance” that captivated the world. -
28 Nov 2023
The extra bad news behind the latest Korean break-down
Suspending the 2018 inter-Korean military accord not only fuels mistrust but shows neither side is looking for an off-ramp. -
6 Nov 2023
How vulnerable is South Korea to a “Hamas-style” attack from the North?
History makes Seoul’s concern understandable – but the best way to deter surprise is through engagement. -
21 Sep 2023
The Camp David Agreement’s shallow foundations
A new trilateral security arrangement could precipitate unintended and deleterious consequences for the US–Korea alliance. -
23 Aug 2023
The curious tales of defectors to North Korea
Why would anyone choose to live in or return to a repressive hermit state? The answers are complex and include regret. -
17 Aug 2023
Bridging the divide: the significance of the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral
The Biden administration sees the upcoming summit as historic – China and North Korea may also, for different reasons. -
24 Jul 2023
Forget Washington, Pyongyang’s most important target has always been Beijing
Kim Jong-un’s charm offensive with Donald Trump may have yielded few results. Not so his efforts with Xi Jinping.