Four Key Strategies of the Biden Administration and their Implications

Young Ho Kim

(skimyhrok@gmail.com)

Professor,

Korea National Defense University

English Abstract

Introduction

The Biden administration officially released the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy in October. It’s worth noting that the NDS was released together for the first time with the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review.

The full disclosure of the four key strategies will be of significant importance in systematically and more plainly understanding the official stance of the Biden administration’s diplomatic and security policy.

Main Contents of the Strategies

(1)The 2022 NSS defined the current period as the inflection point of the international order and security. It emphasized that the dynamics of international politics in the next ten years will determine the fundamental nature of the long-term international order after 2030s.

(2)The 2022 NSS classified the present security threats into two categories and presented countermeasures to each category. The first threat is the traditional security threat arising from geopolitical or power competition among great powers. The second threat refers to transnational threats. These include common threats at the global level directly related to the future of the mankind such as climate change, pollution, health security involving pandemics, food and energy shortages, cyber and terrorist threats. The 2022 NSS said that the US would seek a dual-track approach to actively cooperate with countries with shared interests and values as well as competitors such as China and Russia.

(3)Biden administration’s strategic stances to winning the great power competition are explained as “investment,” “solidarity,” and “military buildup.”

(4)Terrorism is no longer on the top of the list of military threats. It stated that China is the most comprehensive and serious threat in the era of great power competition.

(5)It considers the Indo-Pacific region which has be stressed since the second term of the Obama administration to be of utmost strategic importance.

(6)China is evaluated as a serious threat in terms of nuclear power.

(7)Despite being less detailed than the 2019 edition in its analysis of missiles capabilities by country, the 2022 MDR points out that missile capabilities are becoming more powerful, diverse, and sophisticated.

(8)The gravity of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have been pointed out in the 2018 NPR or the 2019 MDR. The 2022 NPR and MDR indicated that North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities have evolved into a more serious threat as they have become more destructive, diversified and sophisticated.

Implications

The US has officialized the beginning of an era of geopolitical competition among great powers. It has also declared that it would strengthen solidarity to protect the current US-led international order and keep China in check. This puts South Korea with its geopolitical vulnerability in a troubled position.

South Korea should preemptively identify possible areas of disagreements with China that may arise from a strengthened ROK-US alliance and develop approriate responses. It should also urge the US to continue the consolidation of institutional and operational system of extended deterrence including the agreed items in ROK-US annual security talks last November and to increase its policy efforts to resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue.

Furthermore, South Korea should utilize the US’ efforts to strengthen its regional alliance and networks and to decouple from supply chains as opportunities to strengthen its economic and military power. ✤