Democracy and human rights: U.S.-South Korean relations, 1945--1979

This dissertation examines the evolution of American policy as regards democratic developments in the Republic of Korea from 1945 to 1979. The emphasis of the dissertation is U.S.-South Korean relations during the 1970s. It traces the origins, developments, and the effects of America's human rights policies toward South Korea. The dissertation illumines U.S. human rights policies toward South Korea in the light of the changing climate of U.S. domestic politics after the Vietnam conflict. It also analyzes the meaning of the Jimmy Carter presidency to the overall relationship of the two countries during the Cold War. The dissertation exposes American preoccupation with communism and reveals the extent of the role of the Cold War mentality in effecting the relationship. Democracy and human rights were only a secondary concern to Americans who were haunted by the international communist conspiracy to dominate the world. The dissertation draws upon the most recent works on the subject, both in English and in Korean. It includes personal manuscripts, most unpublished, of Donald M. Fraser, Jimmy Carter, and other relevant personalities.