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Hedley Bull and International Society: Contemporary Reflections on the Korean Peninsula

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Abstract

The year 2010 witnessed an escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula through two military crises. The rise in tensions can be explained by neorealism as a shifting distribution of power in the region and a small state preserving its national security. The paper argues that neorealism is not sufficient to explain the patterns and routines of crisis escalation and crisis resumption on the Korean peninsula and the North East Asian region. By focusing on the causes of conflicts neorealism fails to identify the consequences of these inter-state tensions for the evolution of an anarchical society of states in the North East Asian region. The paper provides an alternative interpretation of recent inter-Korean crisis escalation and crisis resolution in the East Asian region through the work of Hedley Bull.

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Notes

  1. Jasper Kim, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, BBC News 24, 25th November 2010

  2. ‘North Korea wants to talk about provocations,’ The Chosun Ilbo, December 13th 2010 at http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/01/21/2011012100530.html

  3. ‘Serial Number on North Korean shell Strengthens Cheonan Evidence,’ The Chosun Ilbo, at http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/12/01/2010112901132.html

  4. ‘The Cheonan-one year later: Enduring doubts and Unyielding Postures,’ The Hankyoreh, March 26th, 2011, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/469897.html

  5. ‘North Korea Manipulates China Very Effectively,’ The Korea Times, at http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/03/116_83274.html

  6. ‘North Korea Follows Familiar Pattern with statement of regret and blame,’ The Hankyoreh, 29th November 2010, 2, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/451189.html

  7. ‘Joint Statements from President Obama and President Hu’ White House Press Release, 11th November 2009

  8. ‘S Korea, US, coordinating terms of resuming nuke talks,’ The Korea Herald, 6th January 2011, 3: ‘North Korea must not skip steps and Return to Six Party Talks,’ The Chosun Ilbo, at http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/14/2011041401232.html: ‘South Korea open to inter-Korean talks sans Apology,’ The Hankyoreh, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/476317.html: ‘East Asian Leaders Agree on Trade Nuclear Cooperation,’ The Chosun Ilbo,, at http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/23/2011052300366.html

  9. ‘NK Leader looks for early resumption of 6-way talks,’ The Korea Times, 27th May 2011, 2

  10. ‘Wu and Carter Visits: Sufficient Movement on Six Party Talks,’ The Hankyoreh, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/English_edition/e_northkorea/474512.html

  11. ‘Cheonan Families look to Define North Korea as Enemy,’ JoongAng Daily, 27th November 2010. The South Korean government claimed that the North has boosted its ‘special forces’ for future infiltration into the South see ‘North Korea has Boosted Special Forces,’ BBC News Online, 30th December 2010. On December 28th 2010 President Lee to pre-empt this possibility, asked all South Koreans ‘to unite’ against the security threat of North Korea, BBC World News, Tuesday 28th December 2010.

  12. ‘China suggests Three Stage Meeting for Resumption of Six Party Talks,’ The Hankyoreh, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/English_edition.e_northkorea/472797.html

  13. ‘Wu and Carter Visits: Sufficient Movement on Six Party Talks,’ The Hankyoreh, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/English_edition/e_northkorea/474512.html

  14. The Korea Times, 6th January 2011, 2

  15. ‘With Summit, Hu moderates indirect dialogue,’ The Hankyoreh, at http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/479858.html

  16. ‘Japan Repeats Claims over Dokdo in Diplomatic Report,’ The Korea Times, at http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/113_84279.html

  17. ‘National Security Strategy of the Republic of Korea’ http://www.mofat.go.kr

  18. ‘Global Asia: Cool Japan, Soft Power,’ The Hankyoreh, 5th April 2011

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the New Faculty Research Fund at Ajou University, South Korea

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  1. Department of International Development and Cooperation, GSIS, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea

    Iain Watson

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Correspondence to Iain Watson.

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Watson, I. Hedley Bull and International Society: Contemporary Reflections on the Korean Peninsula. East Asia 28, 291–311 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-011-9150-3

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