A Study of Regional Security Institution in East Asia: U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Change of the San Francisco System

This thesis seeks to understand the causes of changes in the regional security landscape currently occurring in the Indo-Pacific region and analyze the impact of these changes on existing security systems in East Asia region. The US Indo-Pacific strategy which has been pursued in response to the rise of China and its challenges to US influence in the Indo-Pacific region, has precipitated the fundamental changes in the San Francisco System established in the Asia-Pacific region after World War II. The US-centered bilateral alliance network, which has been the backbone of the San Francisco system, continues to be maintained, but the US-led alliance system is reorganized in a way that allies are given new roles to respond to China’s multi-faced challenges. In addition, multilateral institutions, which has played a complementary role, seem to play a key role in the Indo-Pacific strategy along with bilateral alliance networks. Along with this, active cooperation and coordination with the off-shore security system symbolized by cooperation with NATO is also a significant departure from the existing San Francisco system. The emergence of a new security system in the Indo-Pacific region is bound to have a significant impact on the foreign strategies of major countries in the region, including Korea. Although this is a challenge for Korea’s foreign strategy the flourishing of minilateral cooperations also means that a space has been opened for Korea to play a meaningful role in minilateral cooperation in this region. The existing ASEAN-centered multilateral institutions which led regional cooperation in the East Asian region, is facing significant challenges. It was under pressure to find its place in the competition with newly emerging mini/multilateral cooperations and to improve ASEAN’s effectiveness and relevance itself.