The North Korea A.S.E.M. Security Paradigm: Sitting Comfortably on the Fence

More than 15 years since its inception, the Asia-Europe Meeting (A.S.E.M.)remains indecisive with regard to the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. A.S.E.M. has not developed a coherent strategy, neither for an A.S.E.M. consensus approach towards North Korea, nor for a substantial role for A.S.E.M. with regard to security on the Korean Peninsula. Although significant attempts have been made in the past, neither the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (A.S.E.A.N.) nor the European Union (E.U.), nor collectively A.S.E.M., have become major players on the Korean Peninsula. The reason is that in many ways, the dynamics in Northeast Asia do not fit well with any emerging A.S.E.M. security paradigm.