The Changes Of The Republic Of Korea's Foreign Relations After The Cold War And Their Causes

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Cold War that lasted more than 40 years was ended. After the Cold War, the relations between the nations of Northeast Asia have been changed and adjusted greatly. The changes of the relations among the major powers which largely determined the region's political, economic and security situation were noticeable. The confrontation between U.S.-Soviet has ended and the relationship between the United States and Russia has eased which is the one of the biggest changes after the Cold War. In order to safeguard its national interests and the peace of the Korean Peninsula, the Republic of Korea must adjust its foreign relations with the other countries of Northeast Asia according to the changing international and domestic situations constantly.After the cold war, the Republic of Korea gradually adjusted its diplomatic policy depending on its own economic strength and increasing international prestige in order to adapt to the changing international environment in the Northeast Asia. The Republic of Korea's foreign relations had some changes which were different from the relations in the Cold War period. In this paper, the changes of foreign relations of the Republic of Korea with the other countries in Northeast Asia—the United States, the People's Republic of China, Japan, Russia, North Korea and the reasons for these changes have been analysized. There is also an aggregation of the characteristics of foreign relations of the Republic of Korea under the new situation.The Republic of Korea as a closer neighbor of China, the changes of its foreign relations in the Northeast Asia is directly related to China's national interests. Moreover, the Republic of Korea and China have many connections in the history, culture, national character. Therefore, through the analysis of the changes of the Republic of Korea's foreign relations and their causes, we can draw a lot of valuable experiences and lessons and many useful references and inspirations, so that we can better adapt to the changing times and make the right choices for its own national interests.