The book focuses on the behavioral patterns displayed by major powers in key wars. The three wars examined involve the United States, China, Japan, and Russia, the four major powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The author explains these wars through the concept of a “sphere of influence.” 

War breaks out when violence is employed to redraw the “line of interests” that defines the boundaries of such spheres. Although institutions such as the United Nations and international law exist, the author underscores that international relations remain, at their core, an anarchic system governed by the logic of power. War lays bare this fundamental nature of international politics without concealment.

The author repeatedly emphasizes the importance of a sober realist perspective. Only by understanding the behavioral patterns of the major powers around the Korean Peninsula through such a lens can South Korea chart a viable strategic path forward.

What the author cautions against is any approach that neglects geopolitical realities.​

Jungsup Kim｜Psycheforest｜​April 2024​