This thesis investigates state identity articulations in foreign policy regarding the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) within the context of a deteriorating security...Show moreThis thesis investigates state identity articulations in foreign policy regarding the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) within the context of a deteriorating security environment in Northeast Asia. Through a critical constructivist approach, the study explores how South Korea’s collective memory of historical experiences with Japan has influenced South Korea's foreign policy decisions and bilateral relations with Japan from 2012 to 2023. The findings show that the increasing need for security cooperation reconstructs South Korea’s national identity. South Korea’s colonial memories have impeded an approach toward future-oriented policies regarding the GSOMIA. However, under the current Yoon administration, South Korea appears to prioritize bilateral security cooperation with Japan instead of reproducing the historical disputes, resulting in the improvement of South Korea-Japan relations. This study contributes to the current scholarship on identity and IR by showing how state identity shapes international relations, with a focus on how state identity articulations in foreign policy manifest and transform amidst increasing security threats, and its impact on bilateral ties.Show less
This paper investigates three bilateral relationships in Northeast Asia between Japan and the following countries: the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the Russian...Show moreThis paper investigates three bilateral relationships in Northeast Asia between Japan and the following countries: the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the Russian Federation. It analyzes factors which enable or complicate confidence-building measures (CBMs) in these relationships to argue that there are stark differences between them. These differences are traced through a historical analysis of factors such as power relations, strategic considerations, attributional distance, regime stability, and public opinion. To position itself critically within literature on confidence-building measures, this paper also examines the role of territorial disputes in bilateral confidence-building. On this topic, it concludes that these types of conflicts do not limit CBMs altogether, but that they act as focal points for the aforementioned factors.Show less
