NATURAL RESOURCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY: AN ECOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF SOUTH KOREA'S SECURITY

Perception of the importance of ecological issues in international politics has been on the increase since the early 1970s. One factor in the revival of interest is the widely shared concern over potential natural resource shortages resulting from rapid world population and economic growth. Resource problems cause various types of threats to different countries. Among them are starvation, poverty, resource conflicts, and supply interruptions. Many studies in political science have identified ecological issues as important, but few of them have focused on the systematic analysis of growing ecological constraints and their implications for national security.;The findings in this study can be generalized into theoretical and policy arguments. First, an adequate supply of natural resources is seen as vital to national security. The recognition of this theme in national policy planning is a prerequisite for the protection of other national security values. Second, foreign trade is seen as an useful instrument to improve a nation's resource position, but heavy involvement in international trade causes other security problems of sensitivity and vulnerability. Third, national supply security is determined by the varying supply conditions and the variable policy planning to avoid any supply interruptions.;This study represents an effort to incorporate an ecological dimension into national security planning. Concentrating on South Korea, it explores two general concerns: enhancing carrying capacity, and evaluating supply security. South Korea has a very deficient natural resource endowment despite having one of the highest population densities in the world. It must import numerous natural resources in order to meet its growing demands. Korea's experience, therefore, facilitates analysis of the impacts of resource constraints on national security performance.