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Issues & Insights Vol. 08 – No. 20

It is tempting to focus on the changes occurring in the external security environment when trying to plot the future of Northeast Asia security relations. North Korea’s bluster, China’s rise, Russia’s resurgence, and the myriad "new" security challenges tend to dominate thinking about what lies ahead. Just as important, however, are changes taking place within the U.S. allies: the domestic social and political transformations occurring at the same time – an evolution that is both influencing and being influenced by the changes in the world around them.