Observing the Challenges of Regionalism in Northeast Asia from Comparative Perspectives
Two conflicting trends will determine the future of regionalism in Northeast Asia. One is the growing acknowledgment of the need for regional integration. The other is the rise of nationalism. Aware of the geopolitical uncertainties that make any roadmap for Northeast Asian regionalism tenuous at best, but also adhering to the belief that integration is crucial to the region’s resilience, the “Mega-Asia Research Group” of Seoul National University Asia Center and the Institute of International Studies at Seoul National University co-hosted a conference entitled “Asian Regionalism from Comparative Perspectives.” Held in the autumn of 2024, the event brought together Korean researchers of Asia’s six different regions to discuss the current state of regionalism in each region, with the ultimate goal of gaining insights into the future of Northeast Asian regionalism.
The contributions to this issue of News from Northeast Asia were authored by the participants of this conference. A review of regionalism in the region is first presented by Chang Joon Ok of the Academy of Korean Studies in “Historical Development of Regionalism in Northeast Asia.” This is followed by the proposal of a new region, and therefore the possibility of a new regionalism, by Jeong Yoon Yang of the National Security Research Institute and Beom Shik Shin of Seoul National University in “‘Mega-Asia’ and a New Regionalism: ‘North Asia.’” The reality of regionalism in South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia is discussed, respectively, by Yoon Jung Choi of Sejong Institute (“South Asia at a Crossroads: Navigating Regionalism Amid Historical, Structural, and Geopolitical Challenges”), So Yeon Ahn of Seoul National University Asia Center (“Traditional and New Forms of Regionalism in West Asia”), and Song Ha Joo of Kookmin University (“Emerging Regionalism in Central Asia”). Finally, ASEAN is often regarded as a viable and successful example of regionalism, but in “Regionalism in Southeast Asia: ASEAN’s Potential and Challenges,” Kyong Jun Choi of Konkuk University brings to our attention the limitations that must be overcome if Southeast Asia’s regionalism is to advance to a higher level. These contributions illustrate the diverse forms of regionalism practiced in the Asian world. This, in turn, allows us to go beyond the fatalistic pessimism surrounding the topic of North Asian regionalism and to anticipate the emergence of a new form of regional integration in Northeast Asia.
Ilhong KO, HK Assistant Professor, Seoul National University Asia Center. Email: mahari95@snu.ac.kr