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Home page  About CSIS Programs International Security Program U.S. Policy toward the Korean Peninsula
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U.S. Policy toward the Korean Peninsula
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Relations between the U.S. and South Korea have reached a critical juncture. Opinion over the future of the U.S.-R.O.K. alliance is divided. On the one hand, the alliance has been widely regarded as one of the most successful relationships of the post-World War II era: preserving peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and providing a protective security wing for South Korea’s modern economic and democratic development. On the other hand, resentment in Seoul and a backlash in Washington suggest that the future of the alliance is uncertain. The election of Roh Moo-hyun and a younger generation of leaders to the National Assembly have reflected changes in South Korean domestic politics. South Koreans increasingly reject the notion of a “big brother/little brother” relationship, seek a “more independent” security posture, and disagree with the U.S. over how to handle North Korea. As a result, voices in Washington have begun to question whether the alliance is a greater constraint than benefit to U.S. security policy.
In this context, CSIS and Chosun Ilbo jointly hosted a conference in Washington, DC on May 17-18, 2005, at which American and South Korean officials, legislative leaders, and regional specialists engaged in a candid exchange of views on the future of the alliance and North Korea as George W. Bush’s second term dawned.
The report seeks to provide a concise summary and analysis of the opinions and recommendations expressed at that event.
Prospects for U.S. Policy toward the Korean Peninsula in the Second Bush Administration
On September 26-27, 2006, CSIS and Chosun Ilbo co-hosted a two-day conference on The United States and Korea 2006. This meeting brought together government officials and leading experts from the United States and the Republic of Korea to discuss the state of the U.S-R.O.K. alliance, ongoing discussions for a free trade agreement and developments on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia. The audience was made up of scholars, journalists, businessmen, and others within the Korea-interested community in the United States as well as colleagues from South Korea.
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