Research
My research examines how international conflict and security competition shape political attitudes and democratic politics, with a regional focus on East Asia. I develop this agenda through three questions: (1) why democratic citizens resist reconciliation with foreign adversaries, (2) how foreign intervention affects conflict processes and political institutions, (3) how digital environments shape democratic representation and public discourse on foreign affairs. Looking ahead, I will examine how authoritarian threats reshape democratic attitudes and resilience in East Asia. While studying these topics, I employ quantitative methods, such as longitudinal analysis, survey experiments, and computational text analysis.
1. Public Resistance to Reconciliation in East Asia
Why does the public resist reconciliation with foreign adversaries? Despite repeated attempts at interstate cooperation and rapprochement in East Asia, many citizens continue to perceive adversaries negatively and oppose conciliatory policies. My research under this theme examines the socio-psychological mechanisms that sustain these hostile perceptions and limit public support for peace in the region.
Han, Jungmin (2026). “How Reciprocal Cooperation between International Rivals Shapes Threat Perceptions: Evidence from Inter-Korean Rapprochement in 2018.” Conflict Management and Peace Science, 43 (5): 543–566.
Han, Jungmin, Xin Han, and Alexander Zhang (2026). “How China’s Multilateral Engagement Shapes Threat Perception Amid Rising Authoritarianism.” Journal of Contemporary China, 35 (159): 1582-99.
Han, Jungmin and Thomas Chadefaux. “Seqeuncing Peace: How Patterns of Cooperation Shape Public Opinion on Rapprochement.” Under Review.
Han, Jungmin. “Networkd Rivalries, Enemy Image, and Public Resistance to Peace.” Under Review.
Han, Jungmin. “Hawkish Backlash and Public Resistance to Peace: Evidence from the 2018 Inter-Korean Rapprochement.” Work in progress
Han, Jungmin. “The Tastes of Peace: How International Rapprochement Shapes Everyday Life.” Work in progress
Han, Jungmin and Minseon Ku. “Protocol Violations, Status Hierarchies, and Public Opinion in Summit Diplomacy.” Work in progress (Presentation at MPSA 2026).
2. Foreign Intervention and the Politics of Civil Conflict
A second strand of my research examines how foreign intervention reshapes conflict dynamics, political institutions, and public attitudes during civil wars. This work extends my broader interest in the domestic consequences of international politics by asking how the identity and behavior of external actors affect bargaining among armed groups, rebel governance, and public support for intervention.
Han, Jungmin and Merve Keskin. “The Dynamics of Competitive Intervention: Multiplicity, Rivalry, and Civil War Duration.” R&R at Security Studies.
Han, Jungmin and Hyunjung Park. “Democratic Imprints from Abroad: How External Support from Democracies Promotes Rebel Election in Civil Wars.” R&R at International Interactions.
Han, Jungmin and Hyunjung Park. “State Atrocities, Rebel Governance, and Public Opinion on Humanitarian Intervention.” Under Review.
Han, Jungmin and Thomas Chadefaux. “Can Machines Help Humans Save Lives?: Conflict Forecasting and Public Support for Preventive Humanitarian Intervention.” Work in progress
3. Digital Information Environments and Political Behavior
Reflecting my broader interests in political behavior, democracy, and computational text analysis, I also develop a research agenda on how digital environments shape democratic representation and public discourse on foreign affairs. Across these projects, I examine how online platforms and media systems structure political visibility, exposure, and interpretation, with consequences for both democratic participation and foreign-policy attitudes.
Han, Jungmin, Müge Finkel, Steven Finkel, Fırat Duruşan, and Erdem Yörük (2026). “Online Gendered Violence and Visibility in Electoral Autocracies: Evidence from Multi-level Elections in Türkiye.” FirstView at European Journal of Political Research.
Han, Jungmin, Müge Finkel, Dhanaraj Thakur, Steven Finkel, Fırat Duruşan, and Erdem Yörük. “Asymmetry of Vulnerabilities: How Party Lines Shape Racialized Online Violence against Women in the 2024 U.S. Election.” R&R at Political Behavior.
da Silva, Lucas and Jungmin Han. “Which World Gets Covered? Media Ideology and the Geography of Foreign News.” Under Review.
Han, Jungmin and Junjie Liu. “U.S. Coercive Foreign Policy and Hawkish Attitudes in Chinese Social Media.” Work in progress
Han, Jungmin, Müge Finkel, and Steven Finkel. “Authoritarian Resilience and Electoral Retribution: Online Violence and Gender Vulnerability in Brazil.” Work in Progress
4. International Security and Democratic Politics in East Asia
My future research will examine how international security competition shapes democratic attitudes and resilience in East Asia. This question is especially salient in a region where democratic states coexist with powerful authoritarian rivals and where domestic political development has long unfolded under conditions of geopolitical competition. South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan therefore provide important settings for examining how changes in the external security environment reshape democratic identity, partisan conflict, and tolerance for illiberal politics.
Han, Jungmin. “Polarization, Partisan Competence, and Public Support for Peace.”
Han, Jungmin. “Politicizing Authoritarian Threats in South Korean Electoral Debates.” Work in Progress
Han, Jungmin. “Authoritarian Alignment, Rivalry, and Democratic Backsliding.” Work in Progress