The Relevance of North Korean Nuclear Development to the Transformation of the Cold War Structure in East Asia and the Changing Nature of U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K01470
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 06020:International relations-related
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: Kim Sungho 琉球大学, 人文社会学部, 教授 (60325826)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 国際関係 / 冷戦構造の変容 / 北朝鮮の核開発 / クロス承認 / 韓国外交 / ソ連外交 / 東アジア / 日本外交

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I studied how international relations in East Asia transformed from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. I also analyzed the relationship between North Korea's nuclear development and these transformations in East Asian international relations.
Specifically, first, I focused on the "cross-recognition" policy of the ROK (recognition of the ROK by China and the Soviet Union and recognition of the DPRK by Japan and the U.S.) and the development of the foreign policies of the Soviet Union, China, Japan, the U.S., and the DPRK in tandem, and studied how East Asian international relations were transformed during this period. Second, I also examined how the North Korean nuclear issue emerged from the transformation process of East Asian international relations. Finally, I also discussed the relationship between the U.S. military base problem in Okinawa and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the reasons why the Cold War did not end in East Asia.

Free Research Field

国際関係史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

1980年代の東アジア国際関係についての研究は、これまで外交文書の公開がなかったことから、歴史学的な研究は難しい分野であった。しかし、近年、1980年代の外交文書も機密解除され公開されるようになった。すなわち、日本外交文書や韓国側・ソ連側・米国側外交文書から接近する、いわゆる「マルチ・アーカイブ」の手法によって、東アジア国際関係の変容の詳細を明らかにすることができるようになった。
本研究では、北朝鮮核開発の淵源についても指摘したことにより、現在の北朝鮮核問題についても政策的示唆を与えるものとなった。