The Evolution of Russia's Foreign Policy, Ideologies and Strategies in Northeast Asia: A Study of Russo-Korean Relations

Abstract

Russia faced a lost decade in its East Asia policy due to Yeltsin's “divide and rule” policy-making strategy, an ill-coordinated and ideologized policy agenda. This hampered Russian influence in Northeast Asia (NEA) and allowed the United States to consolidate its primacy in the region for two decades. After Putin's recentralization of NEA foreign policy unfolded, Russia re-emerged as an active player in many regional affairs, guided by its regional strategies. These strategies are often influenced by multiple factors. Russo-Korean relations and the North Korean nuclear crisis offered a critical policy window for Russia to reassert its great power aspiration in NEA and redevelop the Russian Far East (RFE). This article argues the evolution of Russia's foreign policy ideologies shaped by its leaders remains the cause of fluctuation of Russian power in NEA. These ideologies both encourage and frustrate the realization of the regional strategies and interests related to Russia's great power aspiration. The n...