ABSTRACT
Korea is the center of Northeast Asia and a transitional geographic space where the Eurasian landmass meets the Asia-Pacific maritime domain. This chapter focuses on major themes to reconceptualize and assess the centrality of the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia. It examines the Koreas’ respective relationships with their alliance partners and how they fit into the overarching great power regional competition in Asia, especially US–China rivalry. The chapter discusses the complexities of nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula, both from the perspective of Seoul, which benefits from US extended nuclear deterrence, and Pyongyang, which claims its security is ensured by its own nuclear deterrent. It shows how the trajectory of nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula has implications for the international nonproliferation regime. The chapter concludes by bringing together the strands of argument into a picture of how a changing Korean Peninsula can transform the Northeast Asian region.
