Abstract
In the aftermath of the Cold War, many questioned the continuing efficacy of collective security structures such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations Security Council. Yet North East Asia never enjoyed a formal, institutionalized collective security structure. As Russia and the United States compete with China for influence in North East Asia, this essay questions whether now is the time to consider such an arrangement. Central components to the issue are the equally vexing questions of how to approach North Korea and whether a new formalized security arrangement would include or exclude the People's Republic of China.