Korea: The Peace Test That Failed

Between 1989 and the early 2020s, the world moved from one Cold War to another. During these decades, the Korean Peninsula became a critical test for a peaceful global order. That order never arrived. Instead, a "Grand Strategic Triangle" of Washington, Beijing, and Moscow focused on their own spheres of influence. This focus came at the expense of denuclearization efforts for Korea. The peninsula's role in this period was pivotal. It revealed how major powers chose competition over cooperation, setting the stage for today's renewed tensions.