IFS Insight

Amid the relative decline of U.S. hegemony and the shift toward a sphere-of-influence–based international order, East Asia is entering a period of intensified strategic competition marked by U.S.–China rivalry, Russia’s renewed influence, Japan’s rearmament, and North Korea’s entrenched nuclear status backed by China and Russia. As the United States reduces external commitments and emphasizes strategic stability among great powers, South Korea faces growing uncertainty under a potentially weakening U.S. security umbrella. In this environment, Korea must urgently secure greater strategic autonomy by transforming the ROK–U.S. alliance into a more self-reliant partnership, establishing a peaceful nuclear capability foundation within the NPT framework, obtaining operational control of its armed forces, and redefining inter-Korean relations on the basis of assurance and deterrence rather than unattainable goals of denuclearization and immediate unification.

The article frames AI as the latest stage in humanity’s intellectual evolution, following language, writing, and books. Hangul is highlighted as a unique civilizational achievement that enabled mass literacy and today’s K-culture, while the decline of Hanja literacy is seen as a loss of embedded wisdom and meaning. As AI moves from a tool to a knowledge-producing companion, it forces a reconsideration of what it means to be human and how knowledge should be learned and shared. In this context, Korea’s education system is criticized as outdated and overly exam-driven. The CSAT’s multiple-choice structure stifles creativity, while heavy government control undermines university autonomy amid demographic decline. The author argues for long-term, non-political reform focused on creative assessment, critical thinking, and genuine university self-governance to prepare society for the AI era.

This article argues that in the AI era, national competitiveness and security depend fundamentally on the ability to secure and retain talent. Global demand for AI talent far exceeds supply, and compe

Liberal order is collapsing into power politics. Weaker U.S. leadership and China-Russia pressure mean Korea must bolster autonomy, alliances, unity.