Prospects for International Peace and Security Cooperation in East Asia and Korea’s Role

East Asia is a region deeply affected by conflict. Colonial, ideological, and national wars have left their scars and legacies, including disputed borders and divided loyalties. This article focuses on the challenges facing traditional multilateral security cooperation in East Asia. It also, however, considers the evolution of security and governance conceptualisations, assesses and proposes new structures for international cooperation, and addresses the rise of new actors, especially the Republic of Korea (ROK), all of which offer a degree of hope for the future provision of peace and security in the region. The first analytical section considers global shifts in security and governance conceptualisations, from conflict management and resolution to transformation of conflictual relationships, noting the rise of non-traditional security (NTS) issues, and the extent to which the region has been able to adapt. This is followed by a critique of the existing security architectures, whether middlepower led multilateralism, or great power dominated minilateralism. The third section identifies new potential security architectures (NTS minilaterals and regional international commissions) led by an emerging new categorisation of second-tier powers, of which South Korea is one of the most notable.