South Korea's Neighbors Brace for a Foreign Policy Shift

The political chaos that has often enveloped South Korea at the end of a presidential term has been made more pronounced this time with the impeachment Dec. 9 of President Park Geun Hye. Instead of introducing stability to the country, which has been racked by the influence-peddling scandal ensnaring the president, the leadership vacuum created by her impeachment has deepened political fractures, intensified regional divisions and increased uncertainty about Seoul's future policy direction. This has thrown into question South Korea's role in the region's evolving economic and security environments and caused some of its neighbors to reassess their approach to the country....