Sunggun Park

Welcome

I am a Visiting Scholar in the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at George Washington University. My research examines international security, with a particular focus on non-material motivations – such as reputation and prestige – and their interactions with strategy and technology. 

My book manuscript, Peripheral Wars: Strategy, Reputation, and Great Power Competition, advances a strategic reputational theory to explain why great powers sometimes fight costly wars in peripheral regions. My next project explores the causes and consequences of prestige-driven military technology acquisition. 

I teach courses on international security, U.S. foreign policy, and the politics of nuclear weapons. I hold a PhD in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a BA and MA in Political Science from Korea University. Previously, I served as an officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force, teaching at its Academy.