December 13, 2016
4 Ways Trump Can Avoid a North Korea Disaster
The impeachment of President Park Geun-hye plunges South Korea deeper into political turmoil. Anticipating another North Korean provocation, Defense Minister Han Min-koo called on Thursday for heightened vigilance among the Republic of Korea (ROK) armed forces. But it will be left largely to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump to steer us through the looming mayhem.
The South Korean National Assembly voted 234-56 on Friday to impeach Park for her corruption scandal. With roughly half of the ruling Saenuri Party members defecting to join opposition forces in favor of impeachment, it’s now up to a Constitutional Court to validate the vote and either pave the way for early elections or restore Park’s powers.
In the midst of Korea’s abrupt and potentially sharp political transition (the leading presidential candidate, left-leaning Moon Jae-in, promises to undo some of Park’s recent security policy decisions, including on missile defense and intelligence cooperation with Japan), the United States will make a critical political transition of its own on January 20, when Barack Obama hands over the keys to the White House to Donald Trump.
Read the full piece at The Diplomat.
More from CNAS
-
U.S.-Japan Relations Under the Trump Administration 2.0
In this thought-provoking discussion, Richard Fontaine, CEO of CNAS and co-author of “Lost Decade”; and Ken Jimbo, president of Asia Pacific Initiative at the International Ho...
By Richard Fontaine
-
U.S.-India Trade Talks Show Progress, but Major Hurdles Remain, Says Strategist
Rachel Ziemba, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, says the U.S. and India are making progress toward a trade deal, driven by shared geostrategic ...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Episode 6: Autonomy Now! Ukraine, Iran, China, and the “Drone” Revolution
In this episode with Stacie Pettyjohn, program director and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, they discuss Ukraine, China, and Houthi rebels and talk to...
By Stacie Pettyjohn
-
Trade Frictions Ramp Up; Ukraine Drones Strike Russia | Bloomberg: The Asia Trade
"Bloomberg: The Asia Trade" brings you everything you need to know to get ahead as the trading day begins in Asia. Bloomberg TV is live from Seoul and Sydney with Shery Ahn an...
By Dr. Duyeon Kim