Author

Chaesung Chun received both his B.A. and M.A. from Seoul National University’s Department of International Relations, and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University’s Department of Political Science. He served as Assistant Professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, and is currently Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Seoul National University. His recent works include: Reinhold Niebuhr’s Catholic Realism International Political Ideas (in Korean); Thoughts on Realists’ International Institutions (in Korean); and Normalization of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Japan and U.S. Policy Towards Korea’s Dispatch of Troops to Vietnam (in Korean).

Abstract

An alliance system has evolved throughout history among nation-states that strive to secure their survival in an anarchic, decentralized, and self-help international system. Initially formed to maintain balance of power among contending states in the system, the concept of alliance was enlarged to reflect collective security in the Concert of Europe in the 19th century and ultimately to address non-military aspects, such as the development of democracy and ideological conflict, along with traditional security concerns like the emergence of nuclear weapons in the 20th century. Acknowledging the importance of studying the fundamentally changing nature of alliance networks to better adapt to a changed security environment of the 21st century, this paper primarily focuses on a comprehensive historical overview of an alliance system since the 17th century and its implications for today. The careful examination of alliance history in light of the post-Cold War politics shows that states still share interests in balancing against the United States in the unipolar system rather than in bandwagoning with the United States; regional balance of power comes into play in regional conflicts as the United States cannot oversee all regional matters as a balancer; the rise of non-state actors, including transnational terrorist groups, further emphasizes a necessity of alliance networks at the global level as a response to new threats, changing the concept of alliance itself; although the unipolar system under the U.S. hegemony is undeniable, a rising China both in economic and military terms presents another uncertainty in the international system, which in turn requires preventive military alliances to balance against it; the superior military capabilities of the United States implicitly force other states to conform to the global order maintained by the world’s superpower; the mega-trends of globalization, IT revolution, and democratization empower the general public to increase their influence in foreign or military policy-making process in the form of public opinion.

The full text in Korean is available here