Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation

The consideration of grand strategies on the Korean peninsula entails looking both at the approaches of North and South and at the dynamics between them. South Korean grand strategy is still anchored by its alliance with the United States; North Korean grand strategy is still struggling with the collapse of the Cold War alliance structures and the pursuit of reformist paths in China and Russia. The recent leadership transition in North Korea does not seem to offer much hope for improved relations between North and South or between South Korea and the United States.