Author Description

This study aims to examine the diverse factors and environmental changes that may influence the second term Obama administration's foreign policy towards Northeast Asia, and suggest policy options for the new administration of South Korea in response to the prospective United States policy. Two contrasting prospects are competing for the second term Obama administrations' foreign policy towards Northeast Asia, especially North Korea. One view, which can be called the pessimistic view, is that continuity rather than change will prevail for the next four years. Obama administration's policy towards North Korea during the first term is characterized by 'strategic patience, ' which suggests that the United States waits for North Korea to display sincere efforts for denuclearization and to come back to the negotiating table. This strategy also implies that under the right conditions, the United States will pursue a comprehensive package deal including normalization of relations with the United States and economic aid in return for North Korea's complete denuclearization, but will not move first. The pessimistic view holds that the same or similar policy with 'strategic patience' will prevail for the next four years under Obama's leadership.