South Korea at the Crossroads

Students of geopolitics will appreciate Snyder's thoughtful analysis of a troubled region.

[A] solid introduction to the history of South Korea’s foreign policy. . . . Snyder is adept at describing the ups and downs in South Korea’s relationships with the U.S. and China, which illustrate his insightful thesis that there exists a ‘conflict between South Korea’s aspirations for autonomy and its need for alliance.

Chung Min Lee, Yonsei University:
South Korea at the Crossroads provides a lucid and expansive coverage of the major forces that have shaped and influenced South Korean diplomacy since its founding in 1948. Snyder emphasizes the contradictory forces that have shaped Seoul’s foreign policy through each administration, such as the pluses and minuses of geography, nationalism, and internationalism and the poles of autonomy and alliance. This volume will stand out as the best single-volume study on South Korean foreign policy.

Kurt M. Campbell, chairman and CEO, the Asia Group:
The dizzying developments on the Korean peninsula have assumed a central place in our national conversation as recent developments in both Pyongyang and Seoul remind us of the stakes in play for the United States in Asia. Scott Snyder, perhaps America's premier Korean watcher, has written an indispensable book about how to chart a course for America and South Korea in the complex period ahead.

Mark Lippert, U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea, 2014-2017:
At a critical moment for the alliance, Scott A. Snyder has done it again—producing an important work that both provides insightful historical perspectives of the relationship and also advances our understanding of South Korean strategic decision making. This latest contribution from Snyder will inform academics, policy makers, and those who follow the alliance in Washington, Seoul, and around the world.