Publication

This paper evaluates the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI), which is a South Korean-sponsored attempt to promote limited, long-term cooperation in the region. More specifically, the text 1) evaluates the achievements of NAPCI and the opportunities it may create in the future; 2) compares the initiative to the trilateral cooperation framework that exists between China, Japan, and Korea; 3) evaluates the importance of European integration as a reference point for NAPCI; and 4) outlines the potential implications of the initiative on EU-ROK relations. The article’s author ultimately concludes that due to the paradoxical nature of relations in Northeast Asia, which mix economic interdependence with long-standing power struggles, the progress of the Peace and Cooperation Initiative has been slow and regional cooperation with the EU has been difficult.