• Author : Sung Eun Kim and Sujin Cha
• Publication : The Review of International Organizations
• Publisher : Springer
• Volume : 17(4)
• Date : October, 2022

Abstract : Do voters reward politicians for trade liberalization? We examine this question by analyzing voter responses in South Korea to the US-Korea Trade Agreement. Exploiting a change in party positions on the FTA over time, we examine the effects of different party positions on outcomes in the legislative and presidential elections. We find that voters who expect direct gains (losses) specifically from the treaty increase (decrease) support for the pro-trade party. However, voters in export-oriented industries do not reward politicians for a free trade agreement that does not directly affect their well-being. Our analysis of seven waves of individual-level panel survey data also demonstrates that a short-term change in a candidate’s position on the FTA influences voter decisions in the upcoming presidential election. The findings suggest that voter preferences with regard to trade can materialize into voting behavior when voters have a clear ex ante expectation of specific gains or losses from the trade policy.

• Author : Iordanka Alexandrova, Sunwoo Paek
• Publication : Korean Journal of International Relations
• Publisher : The Korean Association Of International Studies
• Volume : 62(3)
• Date : September 2022

Abstract : This article examines the changes in Russia’s nuclear strategy from the Cold War to present day. In the 1950s and mid-1960s, the only strategy available to the Soviet Union was asymmetric escalation relying on nuclear first use. From 1965 to the end of the Cold War, Moscow adopted assured retaliation strategy threatening nuclear reprisal to deter nuclear attacks. During the post-Cold War period from 1991 to 2010, it reverted to a strategy of asymmetric escalation. Since 2010, however, Russia’s strengthened conventional power has enabled it to begin a turn back to assured retaliation. These shifts in Moscow’s nuclear strategy have been determined by changes in the Soviet Union/Russia’s military capabilities and Soviet/Russian leadership’s strategic thinking about the usefulness of nuclear weapons in war. The article calls into question the view that Russia has adopted a brinkmanship strategy characterized by a low nuclear threshold.

• Author : Jiyoung Ko
• Publication : International Studies Quarterly
• Publisher : Oxford University Press
• Volume : 66(3)
• Date : September 2022

Abstract : In the field of international relations, it has long been believed that nationalism generates adverse foreign policy preferences. This article revisits this long-standing assumption by investigating how stimulating nationalistic sentiments shapes mass foreign policy preferences in two contexts, namely when celebrating national achievements and greatness with a focus on the national Self and when invoking negative historical memories in relation to a salient Other. Using a survey experiment conducted in China, which capitalized on visual stimuli drawn from real-world sources to stoke respondents’ nationalistic sentiments, this article shows that not all rises of nationalism are the same. Adverse foreign policy preferences, such as a preference for a hawkish approach, an uncompromising attitude, and a dislike for the status quo, emerge when nationalistic sentiments are stoked by invoking negative historical memories but not by celebrating general national achievements and greatness.

• Author : Woo Chang Kang, Do Won Kim, Joonmo Kang
• Publication : Korean Political Science Review
• Publisher : The Korean Political Science Association
• Volume : 56(4)
• Date : September 2022

Abstract: How do candidates’ appearance affect election outcomes? Under bounded rationality, voters use a variety of heuristics in their political decision-making. Previous studies have found mixed evidence on whether candidates’ appearances, particularly their smiles, serve as heuristics and influence election outcomes. In this regard, this study investigates the effect of smiles on vote shares using election posters of candidates running in South Korean local elections. The candidate’s smile, as measured by Microsoft Azure, increased the vote share by 1.5 to 2.6%p. The size and statistical significance of the smile effect varied depending on the electoral competitiveness and number of candidates. Overall, this study shows that candidates’ smiles help them win votes in specific electoral contexts.

• Author : Boram Lee and Yong Wook Lee
• Publication : New Political Economy
• Publisher : Routledge
• Volume : 27(5)
• Date : September, 2022

Abstract : From the creation of the eurozone to the African Financial Markets Initiative, the world has seen the emergence of regional financial institutions in recent decades. East Asia is no exception. ASEAN plus Three (China, Japan, and Korea) has institutionalised the Asian Bond Marked Initiative (ABMI) since 2003. What explains the development of the ABMI? We argue that East Asian states established it as an institutional mechanism for regional financial autonomy constrained by their dependence on Western financial market. In making this argument, we propose an experience-communication analytical framework to systematically investigate the formation of collective economic interests. We show that the analytical framework captures the timing and the content of the institutional evolution of the ABMI with greater precision. To demonstrate our claim, we attempt to make best use of both qualitative process tracing and quantitative collocational analysis for the validity and reliability of our claim. Particular attention is paid to analysing the politics of inclusion and exclusion in membership as ASEAN plus Three states shifted the forum for regional bond market cooperation from the APEC, of which the United States is a member, to the ABMI, which excludes the United States in pursuing regional financial autonomy.

• Author : KWON, HYEOK YONG, Daeyoung Kim, and Chanhyuk Park
• Publication : Korean Political Science Review
• Publisher : The Korean Political Science Association
• Volume : 56(4)
• Date : September, 2022

Abstract: Why do Koreans not support redistribution policy? This paper focuses on the inconsistency between objective and subjective perceptions on income groups. We argue that imperfect information on individuals position in income distribution leads to redistribution policy preferences that are not congruent with their economic interest. Our analysis of an original survey experiment finds that nearly half of the respondents misperceived their position in the income distribution. The treatment group that was provided correct information on their income position showed redistribution preferences congruent with their economic interest. This finding is consistent with theories of income-maximizing behavior and suggests that class-based redistribution preferences can be formed when citizens are provided with correct information about their income position and the mechanics of tax and spending policies.

• Author : Erik Gartzke, Benjamin E Goldsmith, Koji Kagotani, Soo Yeon Kim, Jeehye Kim, Jiyoung Ko
• Publication : Political Science & Politics
• Publisher : Cambridge University Press
• Volume : 55(3)
• Date : July 2022

Abstract : A key enemy of understanding is isolation. Distance makes it more difficult to craft scholarly insights, to obtain feedback, and to share ideas with other scholars. Because of this, tight-knit communities have long demonstrated advantages in research and learning. In the current globalized world, distance remains a problem for scholars of the Asia–Pacific region. In contrast to Europe and the Americas—regions characterized by continents—the Pacific is an ocean with a diverse set of nations, most of which exist separated from one another, on the rim. This physical geography complicates attempts to study and to communicate insights about regional affairs. Arguably, our understanding of the region is hampered by one of its most important attributes: the physical separation of its component nations.