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U.S. Preventive War against North Korea
by Dong Sun Lee

This article explains why the United States has not fought a preventive war against North Korea despite that country’s moves to arm with nuclear weapons. I argue that the absence of war is mainly attributable to military strategies that the U.S. military has with regard to North Korea. With only attrition strategies available, the United States neither expects to lose a precious military opportunity nor anticipates grave future vulnerabilities vis-à-vis North Korea. The prospect of a costly attritional campaign deters both Washington and Pyongyang from resorting to military force. Straightforward attrition strategies also allow little chance for miscalculation, thereby making inadvertent escalation to war unlikely. The research finds sufficient evidence for my argument, whereas conventional explanations offered by international relations theory fall short when applied to this case.

Heading Toward a Win-Win Future? Recent Developments in China's Policy Toward Southeast Asia
by Michael A. Glosny

Regional leaders and analysts have observed in recent years that China has been very successful in improving its relations with the ASEAN countries. Starting from a description of China’s strategic interests in Southeast Asia, this article analyzes the developments of China’s policy towards Southeast Asia, particularly since the Asian financial crisis of 1997. This article argues that China’s active policies to address ASEAN’s fears about the future impact of a stronger China have made these states more optimistic and hopeful that a more powerful China will be a force for peace, stability, and prosperity in the short-to-medium term. However, long-term concerns remain over whether a more powerful China may decide to try to increase its influence or even try to dominate the region.