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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 5d

Even if Qatar had signed a document with the US on this, it does not appear to be a treaty, congressional-executive agreement, or executive agreement made pursuant to an earlier treaty. Excuse me if I have missed something!

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 5d

can be executive agreements, and defense obligations do not have to be mutual, but I am not sure if this is a formal "agreement" by two sides. There is no mention of duration, and does this last only for Trump's presidency unless something else happens?

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 5d

I read President Trump's executive order to guarantee security for Qatar: www.whitehouse.gov/presidential.... It looks significant, but is this an alliance? @bashleyleeds.bsky.social? Maybe I just haven't seen, but it seems to be a unilateral declaration and not signed by Qatar. Alliance agreements

Assuring the Security of the State of Qatar

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in recognition of the enduring alliance

www.whitehouse.gov

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 20d

"Asked whether Pakistan would be obliged to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella under the pact, the official said: "This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means."" www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

www.reuters.com

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 20d

"Marape told reporters that China, a major trading partner for PNG, had no hand in stalling the treaty." www.reuters.com/world/china/...

www.reuters.com

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · 22d

It looks like Australia and Papua New Guinea will sign a mutual defense treaty. I'm not familiar with the context, but I want to look at the treaty text at some point. www.pm.gov.au/media/press-...

Press conference - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It's a great honour for me as Australia's Prime Minister to be here to celebrate 50 years of the birth of this great nation of Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Marape gave a powerful and inspirational speech this morning where he spoke about the fact that the Australian flag 50 years ago was lowered, it wasn't torn down. Australia was partners in what was an effective and peaceful transition, to the great credit of those great leaders, led by Mr. Somare, of whom a statue is placed outside Parliament House here in Port Moresby.

www.pm.gov.au

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Sep 5

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/u... "Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was dead...the crew, which people briefed on the mission said numbered two or three people, had been civilians diving for shellfish. All were dead"

How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart

www.nytimes.com

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Sep 2

Happy to have met a couple of alumni today. They seem to be doing very well. Their family must be proud, and I'm also proud to have played a small role in their education.

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 24

It seems infeasible for Rwanda to control the entire DRC, and keeping the much larger Democratic Republic of the Congo divided gives Rwanda the upper hand. This kind of balance-of-power perspective may be completely misleading in some situations, but the article sounds like it is not irrelevant.

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 24

I came across this article about Rwanda and DRC
www.wsj.com/world/africa..., and it reminded me of my article with @luissimonn.bsky.social on wedge strategies. doi.org/10.1080/1352.... I have no expertise on the region, but it seems to make sense for Rwanda to engage in internal wedging against DRC.

Decades After Genocide, Rwanda Emerges as Aggressive Regional Power

The tiny country has evolved from an object of sympathy into a controversial and feared powerhouse.

www.wsj.com

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 24

different from where they were even several years ago. An important part of this, I suspect, comes from their appreciation of the international environment (they are, for example, much more positive toward bilateral security cooperation). This from 6yr ago still applies. aei.pitt.edu/100403/1/KFV...

aei.pitt.edu

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 24

I have been pleasantly surprised by the state of Japan-South Korea relations lately. Of course, there are many landmines that someone can step on any time, but that is always the case. President Lee's shift in his stance toward Japan is important, but public opinion in both countries are also very

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Reposted

Brussels School of Governance @bsog.be · Aug 20

"Voices unmuted: Youth shaping the future of internet governance"

Register for this BIG IDEAS dialogue, where @ntjahj.bsky.social will join UNU Senior Vice-Rector Prof. Sawako Shirahase to discuss the dynamic role of youth in Internet governance.

💻 Online
⏰ 11:00 CEST | 18:00 JST
🗓️ 21 August

Voices Unmuted: Youth Shaping the Future of Internet Governance

ONLINE: On 21 August 2025, UNU will host a BIG IDEAS Dialogue with Nadia Tjahja, PhD Fellow at UNU-CRIS.

unu.edu

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 1

in relation to the audience cost theory. Survey experiment papers may not be the most reader-friendly type of articles, but I hope many Japanese, US, and Chinese diplomats and defense officials will read this paper.

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 1

commitment do not make the Japanese public more likely to support escalatory policy against China in the two countries' maritime territorial disputes. I'm personally more interested in the first part of their experiment, but I like that the paper gets more out of the respondents in the 2nd phase,

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Aug 1

I enjoyed reading this thoughtfully-designed survey experiment paper (OPEN ACESS) by @yasukikudo.bsky.social and @ncviethung.bsky.social : "Does the US Really Embolden its Allies? Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Japan." doi.org/10.1177/0022.... The paper shows that US signals of security

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

doi.org

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

you can probably see from the last part, it was a safeguard against South Korea's adventurism, but the treaty text is what it is. Of course, political and strategic considerations are very important, but the treaty text should have some influence on how the allies negotiate.

tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

nor shall anything in the present Treaty be construed as requiring the United States to give assistance to Korea except in the event of an armed attack against territory which has been recognized by the United States as lawfully brought under the administrative control of the Republic of Korea." As

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

...neither party is obligated, under Article III of the above Treaty, to come to the aid of the other except in case of an external armed attack against such party; ...

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

"...in accordance with its constitutional processes." Moreover, "[The United States Senate gave its advice and consent to the ratification of the treaty subject to the following understanding:] It is the understanding of the United States that

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

"...now under their respective administrative control, or hereafter recognized by one of the Parties as lawfully brought under the administrative control of the other, would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger...

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

...which includes "armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific"). The US-ROK MDT instead restricts the geographic scope as follows: Article 3 "Each Party recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the Parties in territories...[crucial details follow]

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tongfi-kim.bsky.social @tongfi-kim.bsky.social · Jul 24

This is an interesting article. But I would like to add a few important details from the US-ROK mutual defense treaty.
www.chosun.com/english/nati.... The treaty doesn't cover just anywhere in the Pacific (unlike a broader interpretation of the US-PH MDT...

Exclusive: Washington presses Seoul to expand defense treaty into Indo-Pacific

Exclusive: Washington presses Seoul to expand defense treaty into Indo-Pacific Trump administration seeks South Korean commitment in US-China flashpoints

www.chosun.com

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Reposted

Oskar Pietrewicz @opietrewicz.bsky.social · Jun 7

Here is my brief take on the new president of South Korea.
➡️ What factors determined Lee Jae-myung's election?
➡️Who is the new president?
➡️What can the election results mean for South Korea’s domestic politics and its foreign policy?

👉 pism.pl/publications...

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Reposted

CSDS Brussels @csds.bsky.social · Jun 6

❗New Korea Chair Explains❗

"President Lee Jae-myung: the United States’ Perspective", by Henry Haggard for CSDS.

Read🔸 csds.vub.be/publication/...

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