(The) hardest is to be a young female peacebuilder : a qualitative study of young female peacebuilders' peace agency and motives, and the impact of gender

Solveig Helene, Ruud Korea University 2019 국내석사

Young women are building peace, and gender impacts how they do it. But how? This introductory work offers a novel analysis of young female peacebuilders’ lived experiences, peace agency, and the impact of gender on these phenomena. Correspondingly, it fills the glaring gap between the “unyouthened” feminist theory and the ungendered youth, peace, and security scholarship. Through interviews and with phenomenological and grounded theory methods, this study explores young women’s motivations and participation in peacebuilding, as well as how gender affects their experiences and agendas. It reveals how young women are both driven and triggered to become peacebuilders; that their peacebuilding participation is far more wide-ranging than previously assumed; and how they navigate to find their space in the peacebuilding field. Further, it articulates the double struggle of being a young and female peacebuilder through the Insulated Glass Ceiling and conceptualises the corresponding process of attaining a feminist peacebuilding agenda as the Feminist Youth Peacebuilder Becoming theory. These findings communicate the hardship of being young and female in peacebuilding, while also conveying the contributions and the invaluable role of young women in peace and security.

Redefining authoritarianism : surveillance and intelligence gathering in the United States post-9/11

Hsiehm, Monica Korea University 2020 국내석사

Starting from the formation of intelligence and surveillance gathering agencies in the Thomas Jeffersonian Era to the Post 9/11 environment that we live in now, there long has been the debate of privacy vs security. The nature of surveillance directly impacts personal privacy and how people view liberal democratic governments and authoritarian governments. The importance of personal privacy and the extent to which the government can infringe on it is important, especially as we continue to improve and integrate new technologies that have the ability to access our personal lives. The existing literature on authoritarianism confirms that governments become more authoritarian with an increase in surveillance. This thesis argues that it is essential to redefine the concept of authoritarianism in the modern international setting in response to the increased privatization increased privatization and transnational approach to surveillance. It will be conceptualized and take into account of the outsourcing of surveillance by allied nations and foreign corporations as examples of the change in surveillance. This thesis will pursue the following questions; can the government infringe on personal freedoms and privacy? What laws and policies can be utilized by the state to control its own citizens with the data gathered? What loopholes could be explored with the cooperative nature of private corporations and the United States government?

What are the implications of China's rising military power for South Korea?

최다은 Korea University 2018 국내석사

Along with economic growth, China has significantly achieved military power that attracted global attention. Global society has different opinions on China’s rising military power as China has been expanding military power now. The purpose of thesis is to investigate China’s rising military power and its implications for South Korea. Thesis primarily investigates a source of China’s rising military power through main international relations theories: realism, liberalism and constructivism. And thesis understands China’s recent defense modernization driven by informationization, and Chinese leadership’s desire to carry out joint operations. Thesis critically investigates two points such as China’s maritime challenge to the U.S, and China-North Korea relations. Lastly thesis highlights four main implications for South Korea

Further NIMS : how can we improve the effectiveness of national incident management system? : greenfield bridge demolition case in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the U.S

배인영 Korea University 2017 국내석사

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US created the National Incident Management System and National Response Framework for systemic approach making departments and agencies work together regardless of disaster types. However, even after efforts of developing the management system the number of affected to person shows an increasing tendency while the number of disasters displays a falling trend. Therefore, this thesis examines how to improve the NIMS, which focuses on bridge replacement system. Relationship between NIMS and bridge replacement will be discussed in this research by analyzing the Greenfield Bridge Demolition Project.

National interest and the prioritization of territorial disputes : a case study through the comparison of "Dokdo" and "Gando" in Korea

야마시타 다쓰야 Korea University 2016 국내석사

Abstract The objective of this research is to demonstrate a causal the relationship between national interest and the prioritization of territorial disputes through a comparative case study. To achieve this objective, this research analyzes two territorial disputes in Korea: the “Dokdo” and “Gando” issues during the Roh Moo-Hyun administration. Occasionally, these issues were not treated as same level disputes, but in fact, a close relationship existed as can be understood by seeing the establishment and discontinuation of two foundations that researched each issue: the Koguryo Foundation and Northeast Asia History Foundation. Concretely, even though the two issues were raised by the beginning of the Northeast Project and the establishment of the Takeshima Day at almost the same time. The “Dokdo” issue remained and the “Gando” issue disappeared due to the Roh Moo-Hyun administration’s political decision based on Korea’s national interests. As a result, the “Dokdo” problem remains a significant issue between Korea and Japan, while the “Gando” problem has not effected diplomacy between Korea and China. To show this fact, this research reconstructs and traces the processes of these two issues, and after that, this study cites reasons for Roh Moo-Hyun’s diplomacy policy change. The diplomacy policy change was caused by the caution toward North Korea and the decline of Japanese importance for Korea. As a result, these factors raised the importance of China for Korea and led to the Northeast Asia Balancer Theory. Then, Roh’s administration continued to extend consideration toward China from the perspective of state’s interest, while the diplomatic consideration toward Japan was removed. In the end, the territorial dispute with Japan was one part of the diplomacy change. Additionally, this research touches on and observes the process in which the “Dokdo” discourse came along after Roh’s political decision.

North Korea's conventional threat and its credibility : how does the ROK assess the DPRK'S threat?

이상훈 Korea University 2016 국내석사

Making the world anew? : a comparative case study of Korean and Japanese national identity socialization among young adults in the post-cold war era

Buckalew, Michael Korea University 2015 국내석사

The current tense state of Korea-Japan relations has become of increasing concern for the United States and in Northeast Asia. The purpose of this study is to analyze national identity formation among Korean and Japanese adults in their 20s and 30s. Cultural, historical and political factors which comprise national identity are analyzed utilizing 'holistic constructivism' as a theoretical framework. This study seeks to answer three questions: 1) Is the Korea-Japan relationship structurally based? 2) What national identities have young adults in the two nations been socialized into? 3) What are the consequences for their respective nation's foreign policies? This study found that Korea-Japan relations are socially constructed. Additionally, while young Korean and Japanese adults increasingly enjoyed aspects of each others cultures, they differed sharply on political and historical issues. While Koreans seek historical redress, their Japanese counterparts are more detached from history and primarily concerned with domestic political issues.

Transnational human rights advocacy : understanding regional contexts and fostering progress in the North Korean human rights debate

Vignon, Celia Korea University 2015 국내석사