New World Order or Disorder? Emerging Trends in East/West Geopolitics

The �New World Order� which heralded the hegemony of the United States in 1990 with its attendant ascendancy of neo-liberal political/economic architecture has consistently created tensions in East/West politics. The recent diplomatic row between the United States and North Korea over the latter�s quest for and eventual testing of nuclear war head in the Eastern region has ushered in new trends in this age old geopolitical alignments. The paper argues that the possibility of a nuclear state in North Korea not only portends danger for their immediate neighbours like Japan and South Korea, and by implication the rest of the world; but will ultimately result in geopolitical re-configuration on the nuclear status of the two countries. The paper adopts qualitative method of enquiry, using textual analysis. It draws relevant insights from secondary sources of data, anchored on realism as a theory of international relations to test its main propositions. Findings show that Japanese and South Korean states, which are currently on a joint nuclear arrangement with the United States, may be compelled to reconsider their options in the emerging realities of East/West relations. Ultimately, the paper submits that the unfolding trends in United States/North Korea conflict will initiate new dialectics of power in East/