This paper proposes three elements that have impinged on conflict management in the post-Cold War era. The Korean nuclear crisis is used as a case study, in that it is not only one of the most intractable security issues in the world but also it indicates that the region is the last vestige of the Cold War. Among them are two IR theoretical perspectives and one conceptual framework. Firstly, to borrow a phrase from Neo-realism, the rise of China made the US-led conflict management process much more complex in terms of international system. Secondly, from constructivists’ viewpoint, the perception of each other has deteriorated between the US and North Korea. The interpretative gap made the conflict management nearly impossible. Lastly, the absence of an elaborate design that shows asymmetric traits between the postmodern state and the fragile state has prevented the process from being developed.
