Yongjun Ko
Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science | University of Delaware
State-building Researcher
About Me
I am a political scientist researching state-building in the Korean Peninsula and East Asia.
Through comparative studies of South Korea and South Vietnam, I explore the conditions under which states overcome crises and succeed. Why do some states survive while others collapse? How have historical political choices shaped today’s Korean Peninsula?
My mission is to translate complex political phenomena into language that the public can understand.
Education
Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science & International Relations
University of Delaware (2020 – Expected May 2026)
- Focus: State-building Studies, Comparative Politics, Korean Unification
M.A. in Political Science (Diplomacy)
Seoul National University (2018 – 2019)
B.A. in Political Science (Diplomacy)
Seoul National University (2008 – 2013)
- Summa Cum Laude
Publications
Academic Journals
- “Assessing the Performance of State-Building Strategies in South Korea and South Vietnam: A Focus on the Relationship between Political Leadership, Coercive Apparatus, Social Forces, and Foreign Powers (1948-1972)”
World Politics (SSCI Top Journal) – Under Review - “U.S. Strategy toward the Korean Peninsula: Challenges and Implications for the ROK-U.S. Alliance”
KINU Policy Research Series, 2024 - “Nixon Administration’s Crisis Management: EC-121 Incident and Deterrence Failure”
Journal of Military History, 2023
Research Involvement
- Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) Policy Projects
– Korean Peninsula Unification Policy Vision Research
– U.S. Strategy toward the Korean Peninsula Analysis
Conference Presentations
- Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Conference, 2024
“Assessing the Performance of State-Building Strategies in South Korea and South Vietnam” - Korean Association of International Studies (KAIS) Annual Conference, 2024
“State-Building in Divided Nations: Korea and Vietnam Compared” - Korean Political Science Association Workshop, 2015
“Revisiting the 1885 Sino-Japanese Tianjin Treaty: Negotiations over the Korean Question”
Professional Experience
Policy Consultation
Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU)
Policy Research Project Contributor (2023 – Present)
Military Service
Intelligence Officer, Republic of Korea Air Force (2013 – 2016)
- Served at US Forces Korea Joint Command
- ROK-US Combined Exercise Intelligence Operations
- US Air Force Achievement Commendation
Awards & Fellowships
- US Air Force Achievement Commendation (2016)
- Summa Cum Laude, Seoul National University (2013)
- Department Fellowship, University of Delaware (2020 – Present)
Research Areas
State-building
- Comparative study of South Korea and South Vietnam: Why did Korea succeed while Vietnam failed?
- Political crises and leadership: Comparing Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, and Ngo Dinh Diem
- Social forces and bureaucratic institutions during state formation
Korean Peninsula Politics
- Unification strategies and state-building
- Inter-Korean relations and peninsula security
- US-Korea alliance and East Asian international politics
East Asian History
- 19th-20th century East Asian international relations
- The Cold War and the Korean Peninsula
- Domestic politics of Korea-Japan relations
About This Blog
“History Made the State, the State Made History”
A blog analyzing Korean Peninsula and East Asian politics through the lens of state-building.
Topics Covered
- State-building Stories: Theory and historical case studies of state formation
- Korean Peninsula & East Asia: Historical context analysis of current issues
- Scholar’s Notes: Research notes and reflections from a PhD candidate
Contact
- Email: repkjkyj@udel.edu
- Affiliation: University of Delaware, Department of Political Science & International Relations