The Limited Roles of U.S. Nuclear Deterrence in Northeast Asia: in Book Review Roundtable on Terence Roehrig, Japan, South Korea, and the United States Nuclear Umbrella: Deterrence After the Cold War

In the era of North Korea's incessant, and almost successful, attempts to become a nuclear weapons state and the rise of China's power, Terence Roehrig's book Japan, South Korea, and the United States Nuclear Umbrella: Deterrence After the Cold War is a very timely and interesting academic work. Bridging theory, history, and contemporary debates, Roehrig delves into the effectiveness of the United States' security commitment to its two main allies in Asia, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), particularly in the form of nuclear deterrence. The Cold War came to an end almost three decades ago at a global level, but military tensions still remain in Northeast Asia. North Korea's decision to arm with nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) further destabilizes the region's geopolitical situation, continuously requiring the deep involvement of U.S. leadership in managing and resolving this new nuclear crisis after the Cold War. Against this backdrop, Japan, South Korea, and the United States Nuclear Umbrella offers readers detailed explanations and invaluable insights on how to view the U.S. role in dealing with the current and future nuclear confrontations in Northeast Asia.