35678 International Relations in East Asia(Spring 2024)

Prof. Ihn-hwi Park, IEB #904, ihpark@ewha.ac.kr

Mon 14:00~15:15 & Wed 12:30~13:45 at IEB #1202
Office Hour: by appointment

□ Course Description: This course purposes to understand the key diplomatic and security
issues in East Asian region. The representative three East Asian states, China, Japan and
Korea, cover almost 30% of the whole global GDP, and security condition of these countries
centers in the global peace and stability. Most importantly, the U.S.’ ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’
and the China’s ‘new great power relations policy’ may move either cooperation or conflict.
Security condition of Southeast Asia becomes more important in the global context. Based on
this background, to understand the context of power politics in a regional level and global
security system this course will include discussions on historical background of East Asian
Int’l Relations, US hegemonic project, cultural identity, regional integration, the Korean
Peninsula issue, the rise of China etc.

Evaluation: midterm(40%), final exam(40%), attendance(20%)

Textbook: Derek McDougall, Asia Pacific in World Politics, 2nd Edition (Boulder, CO: Lynne
Rienner Publishers, 2016)
- Textbook will be available at the “Copy-plus” near the Ewha main gate.

Part I: Cold War History and Major Powers in the Region

Week 1(3/4, 6): Course Over

Week 2(3/11, 13): Ch. 1-the Pacific region
Week 3(3/18, 20): Ch. 2- the U.S.
Week 4(3/25, 27): Ch. 3- China
Week 5(4/1, 3): Ch.4 – Japan

Week 6(4/8, 10): Ch. 5, US-China relations

Week 7(4/15, 17): Ch. 6, US-Japan relations & Ch. 7, China-Japan relations

Week 8(4/22, 24): Midterm, no class on the 24 due to the general course exam period

Part II: Conflicts, Dynamics and Players in East Asia

Week 9(4/29, 5/1): Ch. 8, The Taiwan issue

Week 10(5/6, 8): Ch. 9, The Korean Peninsula
Week 11(5/13, 15): Ch. 9, The Korean Peninsula
Week 12(5/20, 22): Ch. 10, Southeast Asia
Week 13(5/27, 29): Ch. 11, 12, Indonesia & India
Week 14(6/3, 5): Ch. 15, 16, East Asian regionalism
Week 15(6/10): final exam