Korea

Korea

The alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States remains critical to maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the surrounding region, while trade and investments between both countries provides a foundation for enhanced cooperation in key areas such as technology and energy. The pursuit of nuclear weapons by the regime in North Korea threatens to destabilize the peninsula and the entire region. The Republic of Korea is also increasingly exploring opportunities to engage with Southeast Asia and contribute to the US vision for the Indo-Pacific.

Cynkin quoted in VOA regarding Republican presidential candidates’ North Korea policy

Dispatches Jan 27, 2026

Taiwan has been a strategic blind spot for South Korea

By Bee Yun Jo

South Korea is beginning to acknowledge that cross-Strait stability is increasingly a foundational element of overall regional security.
China Indo-Pacific
Cynkin quoted in VOA regarding Republican presidential candidates’ North Korea policy

New Atlanticist Dec 18, 2025

South Korea and Europe are stepping up on security cooperation. Here’s why.

By David F. Helvey

The growing ties reflect a shared understanding that deterrence in the twenty-first century is global.
Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia
Cynkin quoted in VOA regarding Republican presidential candidates’ North Korea policy

New Atlanticist Nov 6, 2025

How South Korea advanced its trade and technology agenda at the APEC summit

By Kayla T. Orta

South Korea leveraged its diplomatic influence to strengthen Seoul’s standing within the multilateral economic framework and secure trade deals with the United States.
Economy & Business Indo-Pacific

Projects

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The Tiger Project: War and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

Explore the Atlantic Council’s work on current and enduring defense and deterrence issues in the Indo-Pacific, featuring expert commentary, multimedia content, and in-depth analysis.

Explore the programs

The Indo-Pacific Security Initiative (IPSI) informs and shapes the strategies, plans, and policies of the United States and its allies and partners to address the most important rising security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including China’s growing threat to the international order and North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear weapons advancements. IPSI produces innovative analysis, conducts tabletop exercises, hosts public and private convenings, and engages with US, allied, and partner governments, militaries, media, other key private and public-sector stakeholders, and publics.

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Content

In the News

Sep 19, 2023

Cynkin quoted in VOA regarding Republican presidential candidates’ North Korea policy

On September 18, IPSI nonresident senior fellow Thomas Cynkin spoke to VOA Korea about Republican presidential candidates’ stances on North Korea. He explained that it is too early on the campaign trail to predict how candidates would direct North Korea policy if elected, as candidates are focusing mostly on domestic policy at this stage.

Elections Indo-Pacific

In the News

Sep 19, 2023

Cynkin interviewed by Yonhap News on intelligence approaches to Russia-North Korea partnership

On September 17, IPSI nonresident senior fellow Thomas Cynkin was quoted in Yonhap News. Cynkin suggested that the United States may benefit from declassifying and disclosing more information related to trade activity between North Korea and Russia, as it did with intelligence on Russian military action prior to the invasion of Ukraine. He explained that […]

Arms Control Indo-Pacific

In the News

Sep 19, 2023

Cynkin appears on VOA “Washington Talk” weekly program

On September 16, IPSI nonresident senior fellow Thomas Cynkin appeared on VOA Korea’s weekly program, “Washington Talk,” regarding the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He described the North Korean-Russian partnership as an “unholy alliance” and a “marriage of convenience,” particularly as it pertains to nuclear issues, […]

Arms Control Indo-Pacific

In the News

Sep 15, 2023

Garlauskas appears as a guest on Brussels Sprouts

On September 15, Markus Garlauskas spoke on an episode of Brussels Sprouts, a transatlantic security-focused podcast. In this episode, titled “The New Authoritarian Axis: Russian Relations with North Korea and Iran,” Garlauskas discussed the recent Putin-Kim summit and the concerning implications of this developing relationship for containing North Korea’s WMD programs. He also addressed the […]

China Indo-Pacific

In the News

Sep 14, 2023

Cynkin interviewed by VOA on recent Putin-Kim summit

On September 12, IPSI nonresident senior fellow Thomas Cynkin was quoted in VOA Korea for his insights on the recent Putin-Kim summit. He was also featured in broadcasts by VOA Korea on September 12 and VOA Russia on September 13, explaining that “this meeting is a reaction to the isolation that the two countries, Russia […]

Indo-Pacific International Norms

New Atlanticist

Sep 13, 2023

What the Putin-Kim authoritarian get-together means for Russia’s war and North Korea’s capabilities

By Atlantic Council experts

Experts react to Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.

China Conflict

In the News

Sep 13, 2023

Garlauskas quoted in War on the Rocks

On September 12, Markus Garlauskas’ analysis was referenced in War on the Rocks regarding his recently published report on simultaneous conflicts and limited nuclear attacks. In particular, the article cited one of the report’s key assertions: that “the likelihood of a two-front conflict is … worth serious consideration and accommodation.”

China Crisis Management

Blog Post

Sep 8, 2023

State of the Order: Assessing August 2023

The State of the Order breaks down the month's most important events impacting the democratic world order.

Brazil China

In the News

Sep 5, 2023

Garlauskas quoted in TribunNews

On September 4, Markus Garlauskas’s recent comments to Nikkei Asia were quoted in TribunNews, an Indonesian media outlet. In particular, the article referenced Garlauskas’s explanation of how North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities and its improving ties with Russia and the PRC are altering the Kim regime’s strategic calculus on nuclear use.

China Defense Policy

In the News

Sep 4, 2023

Garlauskas quoted in the EurAsian Times

On September 3, Markus Garlauskas’s recent comments to Nikkei Asia were quoted in the EurAsian Times. The article underscored Garlauskas’s statement that the world has underestimated the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, particularly “its risk calculus, its willingness to provoke, its willingness to engage in limited acts of aggression.”

Arms Control China
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Experts

Staff

Uri Friedman

Senior Editorial Director

Coronavirus Democratic Transitions

Staff

Markus Garlauskas

Director

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Crisis Management Indo-Pacific

Fellow

Bradley T. Gericke

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Conflict

Staff

Lauren D. Gilbert

Deputy Director

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

East Asia Human Rights

Fellow

Bee Yun Jo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Korea Korean

Fellow

Heather Kearney

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Indo-Pacific Intelligence
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