The U.S. presidential election has drawn global attention, while the situation in the IndoPacific region remains tense. According to the NHK and the Associated Press, just hours before voting began in the U.S., North Korea launched seven missiles into the Sea of Japan. The following day, Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen boarded a South Korea amphibious assault ship for the first time, strengthening South Korean and Japanese cooperation in addressing North Korea’s threats. In this episode of “Taiwan Talks,” we examine the reasons why Kim Jong Un decided to launch the missiles before the U.S. elections, whether South Korea will supply weapons to Ukraine following North Korean participation in the RussiaUkraine war, and the strengthening of JapanSouth Korea military cooperation. Furthermore, we analyze U.S. Presidentelect Donald Trump’s potential strategy for the Korean Peninsula and RussiaUkraine war.

Our guests are:

Yen Chenshen
National Chengchi University Professor of Political Science

William Vocke
Western Pacific Fellowship Project Vice President

Chapters
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:00:43 – Why Did North Korea Launch Missiles?
00:05:55 – South Korea Fires Hyunmoo Missile
00:08:54 – Has JapanSouth Korea Cooperation Strengthened?
00:13:07 – Trump’s Calculations on Korean Peninsula
00:16:46 – Lessons Taiwan Could Learn From South Korea
00:17:51 – Trump’s Potential Impact on RussiaUkraine War
00:20:43 – Will Zelenskyy Accept a Compromise?
00:21:38 – Trump’s Plan To Resolve the RussiaUkraine War