Feburary 13, 2026

Dong Ryul Lee, EAI Senior Fellow (Professor at Dongduk Women's University), provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of China’s strategy toward the U.S. in 2026. The author predicts that China will move beyond its passive response to U.S. to pursue all-out diplomacy toward Europe, the Global South, and other regions, aiming to establish a multipolar order led by China. Furthermore, Professor Lee cautions that South Korea’s interests could be overlooked in a potential “Grand Bargain” between Washington and Beijing.

Won Gon Park, Chair of EAI Center for North Korean Studies (Professor at Ewha Womans University), analyzes the situation surrounding the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro, pointing out that the U.S. is shifting toward a 'leadership change' strategy that maintains the existing regime but precisely targets and removes only anti-American leaders. Chair Park emphasizes that the United States' evolving style of coercive diplomacy suggests the possibility and implications of a new scenario: leadership change rather than state collapse.