U. S. - South Korean Alliance

The inconclusive outcome of the Korean War left a peninsula divided between two nations engaged in a deadly cold war. An important aspect of the continuing hostilities was America's security guarantee to South Korea. Despite enormous geopolitical changes wrought by the accelerating collapse of communism, the United States has a standing pledge to go to war if necessary to thwart a North Korean attack. This volume assesses the current and future viability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance from military, political, and economic perspectives. Currently South Korea enjoys an enormous economic edge over the Communist North whose stagnant economy labors under the strain of excessive military spending and increasing political isolation. Citing these factors in light of the worldwide Communist retreat, Ted Galen Carpenter, Stephen D. Goose, Doug Bandow, Selig Harrison, and Dae-Sook Suh argue in favor of a gradual U.S. military disengagement. They point out crucial weaknesses in North Korea's political and military infrastructure and demonstrate that South Korea has grown increasingly capable of defending itself against Northern aggression. Far more skeptical than the other authors concerning changes in current deployments, A. James Gregor and Daryl M. Plunk contend that belief in the demise of the Cold War in Asia is overly optimistic. They cite the continuing presence of a formidable Soviet force in the region and note that an American pullout might be an inducement to Chinese adventurism. Chapters by Edward A. Olson?sic? and Changsu Kim outline practical approaches to revising South Korea's current defense strategy, and in a concluding statement Senator Tim Worth?sic? of Colorado speculates on the future of U.S.-South Korean relations and argues for disengagement in the context of a sharp reduction in the confrontation between North and South. This timely and wide-ranging presentation of views will be of interest to foreign policy analysts, political scientists, economists, and specialists in strategic affairs and area studies.