A Study On The Motivation Of The Transformation Of The Alliance Between The United States And Korea

The U.S.-South Korea alliance has been in place for nearly 70 years since the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953.The US-Korea alliance is an important link in the US alliance system.At the beginning,the US-South Korea alliance was only a military alliance,but after decades of development,the US-South Korea alliance has transformed into a comprehensive strategic alliance.The development and changes of the US-Korea alliance are closely related to the Korean War,the relaxation and end of the Cold War and the proposal of the Asia-Pacific strategy.It can be divided into five stages:tight period(1950s--mid-1960s),loose period(late 1960s--late 1980s),coordination period(early 1990s--2007)and strengthening period(2008--now).After four stages of change,the US-Korea alliance has changed in three aspects: purpose,structure and function.In terms of purpose,it gradually changed from dealing with North Korea and the socialist camp together and carrying out checks and balances to sharing interests and increasing power.In terms of structure,the asymmetry of the US-Korea alliance gradually weakened,and South Korea changed from highly dependent on the United States to seeking independence.In terms of functions,it has shifted from only maintaining military security to maintaining regional stability,and the scope of cooperation has been continuously expanded.The reasons for the transformation of the US-Korea alliance are mainly power,interest and cognition factors.As the power of South Korea increases,the interests of both sides change and expand,and the cognition of both sides changes,the US-South Korea alliance has changed in three aspects: purpose,structure and function,and the US-South Korea alliance has finally completed the transformation from a single military alliance to a comprehensive strategic alliance.After its transformation,it will be combined with the Indo-Pacific strategy of the United States and more integrated into the Asia-Pacific alliance system of the United States,which will have a complex impact and bring some challenges.The transformation of the US-ROK alliance also enables the two countries to carry out and deepen their cooperation in more fields,which has brought benefits to both sides.In addition,the United States intends to promote its integration with the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific strategies of the United States to contain China,and coordinate with its Asia-Pacific alliance system.Especially after Biden took office,the cooperation on international issues under the framework of the alliance between the United States and Korea has shown a trend of getting closer.At the same time,the transformation of the US-ROK alliance will also lead to differences in economic,military and foreign policies between the two countries,which will cause the alliance to face difficulties.