Discussion on Whether the Korean Peninsula will be Included in China's Core Interests

This study aims to discuss whether the Korean Peninsula is included among the core interests claimed by China. The core interests of China are those interests that it is unwilling to negotiate over, and interests that they will even use military power to protect. China's official core interests have so far been limited to Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, but their list of core interests has been expanding in scope since the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute. Furthermore, including the Korean Peninsula among China's core interests leads to an immense ripple-effect on not only South Korea but also the security of Northeast Asia and U.S.-China relations. This study analyzes the following research questions: What are the core interests of China? Is the Korean Peninsula included in China's core interests? Will the Korean Peninsula only be included in China's core interests in the event of an emergency? If it is included, what is the specific object or likely scenario? This study conducts an in-depth analysis of the questions above and provides policy implications for the South Korean government.