January 15, 2020

Dear Network Members and Colleagues,

We would like to share with you the latest APLN column in The Korea Times by Dr Peter Hayes, APLN Research Director. A shorter Korean language version was published in The Hankook-Ilbo.

In Lessons from Pandemic-Nuclear Weapons Nexus for Survival in 2021, Dr Hayes highlights the future scenario assessments and recommendations from the APLN-RECNA-Nautilus Institute Nagasaki 75th Anniversary Pandemic-Nuclear Nexus Scenarios project.

In one future scenario, the pandemic is forcing a new distribution of geopolitical, geo-economic, and geo-ecological power. Effective governance of global problems arise from “first responder” cities, provinces, corporations, and civil society organizations, driven by sheer necessity to devise shared solutions.

In another, darker future, countries are struggling to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and degenerate into a new Cold War with more states and even non-state actors armed with nuclear weapons.

Dr Hayes argues that the challenge is for governments to consider better ways to prepare for an uncertain future created by the COVID-19 pandemic than relying on nuclear weapons.

The Trap of the Biden Administration and Progressive Idealism
On 28 December in a column for South Korean newspaper, The Hankyoreh, APLN Vice-Chair, Professor Chung-in Moon argues that there is no guarantee that the Biden Administration will bring back the peaceful world order that many have been longing for. That has major implications for South Korea. Read more. 

India’s UNSC Tenure 2021-2022
On 2 January, in an article for the Indian newspaper, The Sunday Guardian, APLN member Dr Manpreet Sethi sets out priorities for India as it begins its eighth tenure as a UNSC non-permanent member, emphasizing the need to leverage its position to tackle cooperative security issues including on trans-national terrorism, biological warfare, and nuclear risks. Read more. 

Why COVID-19 Could Signal Change on the Korean Peninsula
On 8 January, ELN member, Angela Kane and APLN Vice-Chair Chung-in Moon outlined the opportunities that arise from COVID-19, challenges for diplomacy in inter-Korean relations, and suggest prioritizing human security as a foundation for peace and prosperity. Read more.