International Relations of East Asia Especially South and North Korea

Stabilizing International Relations in East Asia and Possibility of Institutionalization

The current relationship status between nations in East Asia is souring as the clock ticks. There is major instability with regards to the security problems especially as far as the North and South Korea are concerned. An arms race is going on with North Korea trying to accumulate Weapons of Mass Destruction. Recently it announced of its possession. This project aims to find a solution to eliminate this instability and how the nations can come together to ensure peace in the region.

Asian countries are facing a block in their relationship with each other. India and Pakistan are hardly moving forward on the Kashmir Issue while the Koreas are still in an unstable environment. The common denominator to cause such instability is the proliferation of weapons and the question of how to set the standards of common security. With the U.S. aiming for the elitist weapons, and aiding South Korea, begins a chain reaction in countries like China and North Korea that opt for producing more sophisticated weapons 'China's chief of arms control issued a new warning ... that U.S. plans for a national missile defense system, even if intended to stop attacks from countries like North Korea and Iraq, would set off a global arms race and cause more countries to develop nuclear weapons" (Eric Eckholm: 1999)

The Koreas have fought previously with the U.S. aiding the South while China aiding the North. At the 38 parallel there lies now a 2000m wide demilitarized zone. The relations of the East Asian countries have always been sour and China has fought nearly all of its neighbors. In the early 1990s, an analysis of the relationship of East Asian countries as well as East Asian security has resulted in labeling them as a dangerous neighborhood. North Korea remained a state with siege mentality and a very strong nuclear commitment. Today although talks are being conducted and there is active dialogue, there is some hindrance in the process due to the policies that states acquire. The North and South Korea have been recently involved in trying to resolve their issues. May 2005 marked the month in which at the end of a four day intensive talk between the two countries, the South promised to send the North 200,000 tons of fertilizer and both sides unanimously agreed for the cooperation in attaining peace in the Korean Peninsula (Anonymous).

East Asia, North and South Korean in particular, need to expand their talks to a productive level and require institutionalizing the road way that would lead to peace and tranquility. The West adopts the process of setting up co-operation and understanding from the root level all the way to the top. However, the Asian concept of institutionalizing aims for the analytical study of the norms and culture of others and then aim to find out the common things to understand and build confidence in each other. They do not form any formal organizations which would have well defined goals, missions and a clearly worded constitution. "Asian incrementalism instead stresses the utility of non-institutional frameworks for discussion, while operational follow-up is entrusted to organizations without elaborate constitutional specifications. Implementation is an administrative task delegated to subordinates. Building trust among leaders which will then trickle down to drive implementation of plans is the preferred approach." (Kwa Chong Guan).

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What was the root cause of the instability present between the Koreas today?

What impacts did the Cold War have in East Asia?

How did the Post Cold War scenario affect the Koreas with an overview on the Korean War?

How would the Western concept of institutionalization affect the situation if applied to East Asian nations?

An overview of the nuclear race in East Asia and what steps are necessary to take in order to end this race?

Any additional steps that would enhance the journey of achieving peace in East Asia and enhancing the relationship between nations in East Asia as well as their relationship with the West.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The current destabilization that is present in East Asia proves to be a threat for nations all across the globe. Each nation wishes to acquire nuclear weapons to secure their position and gain an advantage of being the dominant nation. With such instability, terrorist organizations and rogue states come into existence and because they do not have good international relations with any, they are a potential threat to all humanity. With a study about the history of the conflict and the reasons that gave rise to this enmity, one can analyze and provide for a solution that would harmonize the current situation. Providing a solution is important after one recognizes a problem otherwise the condition worsens and goes beyond control.