Alliance Diversification & the Future of the U.S.-Korean Security Relationship

 

 

The security alliance between the United States and South Korea is fast approaching a major turning point in its history, and it coincides with fundamental changes in South Korean society, American strategic planning and military transformation, and the region’s geopolitical and economic environment. The two nations’ diverging threat perceptions and security priorities are undermining some of the basic foundations of the bilateral alliance, and, if it is not nurtured, the alliance will almost certainly weaken and possibly wither. At the same time, however, the maturation of South Korea’s economy and democracy is contributing to new bilateral ties and offers an opportunity for Washington and Seoul to find broader common ground, diversify the alliance, and build a new platform for security and other forms of cooperation.

 

This book is the result of extensive field research throughout Northeast Asia, high-level workshops, and dozens of in-depth interviews with U.S., South Korean, and other key regional officials and experts to consider the alliance’s future in both the short term and the long term. The research addresses the continued threat from North Korea and its nuclear weapons program and the challenge of preparing for a North-South reconciliation process that would presumably remove a central rationale for the alliance and risk casting it adrift. The result is a detailed examination of the current circumstances and options for U.S. policy makers to chart a new alliance course proactively with their South Korean counterparts. The study concludes with a road map for alliance diversification and military transition on the Korean Peninsula that can ultimately lead to an even more productive U.S.-Korean security relationship for the new century.