Newly Changed Security Environment Surrounding The Korean Peninsula And The Future Of The USFK

It is generally said that the Korean Peninsula has been the most directly influenced by the fourmajor powers in the world. The series of historical affairs from the end of 19th century to therecent days have offered the testimony to this point of views. This study, however, considers thatthe Korean Peninsula is not a dependent variable acting within the international structure imposedupon by the four major powers, but an independent variable which can in itself assume a leadingrole in the regional and international order. The current asymmetrical ROK-US alliance symbolized with the issue of stationing the USForces in Korea was the right reflection of the differences of the power between the two countriesand the international order surrounding the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War. But now, thesituations have been changed a lot. Since the end of the Cold War, the disintegration of the SovietUnion in the past century and the recent reconciliatory changes between two Koreas, especiallythe June 15, 2000 inter-Korea summit, the possibility of the North Korean threat, the main reasonfor stationing the USFK has been largely reduced. The importance of the military factor in theinternational society is getting reduced less and less. Furthermore, the rapid growth of total powerof ROK has been asking the reorganization of the existing ROK-US alliance. In this respect, thecurrent asymmetrical ROK-US alliance that was shaped during the Cold War has already lost thenature of alliance. Therefore, the ROK-US alliance should outgrow its asymmetrical nature and betransformed into a symmetrical one. The issue of the USFK does not simply involve a military factor but has a comprehensive,strategic meaning. At the same time, it is a part of total security strategy system of U.S. in wholeAsia including Northeast Asia. The important factors which can determine the future of the USFK are to be described as theprocess of two Korea's unification, U.S.'world strategy, the attitudes of the other major powers onthe USFK, the anti-U.S. sentiment of the Korean public, the process of the establishment of amulti-security cooperation system in Northeast Asia, and so on. On the basis of the above analysis, this study examines the future of the USFK. This thesis recognizes that U.S. is the sole superpower in the post-Cold War, while assertingthat ROK can ensure its own national security and defense independently. But it is also trying toovercome the subjective viewpoint such as nationalism. In other words, it does not unrealisticallyask the immediate withdrawal of the USFK from the Korean Peninsula, but tries to seek therational solution for united Korea to materialize the independent diplomatic policy. Concerningthe issue of the USFK, this study suggests that ROK should try to alter its defense system which istoo dependent upon U.S. into a multi-security cooperation one. From this theoretical framework,this thesis puts forward some suggestions for the future of the US forces in Korean Peninsula likethe following; on condition that unification would be fulfilled or a security cooperationorganization in the Northeast Asia would be founded, the USFK should be withdrawn from theKorean Peninsula. But if united Korea and U.S, through the negotiation between two nations, cancome to agreement on the necessity of stationing US forces in the Korean Peninsula, the way ofexistence of the US forces should be solved by U.S.'obtaining the approval for the access to themilitary bases within Korea.