Hegemonic Resistance in East Asia: Japan and South Korea's Search for Autonomy in the Shadow of Sino-American Competition, 2001-2020

This dissertation seeks to understand how and why hegemonic resistance emerges in non-revisionist, subordinate states. Hegemonic resistance, conceptualized as the deliberate noncompliance of the subordinate state with the explicit directives of the hegemonic power, is a phenomenon that may seem unlikely given the inordinate power asymmetry and dependency of states like Japan on the US. However, over the last two decades Japan has demonstrated refusal to cooperate with important US policy goals in Asia. This study aims to identify the international and domestic factors that lead to hegemonic resistance. In-depth case studies were conducted on the external requests that the US made of its Asian allies from 2001-2020. These include George W. Bush’s North Korean policy, Barack H. Obama’s preferences for the direction of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Donald J. Trump’s anti-China economic agenda. The analysis of Japan’s mixed foreign policy responses reveals that Japan largely resist (and comply) with US demands for reasons of security and economic profit as such behavior allows them to maximize their autonomy. These findings are corroborated by a validity test conducted on South Korean resistance.