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Description

Security alliances can take many forms. They can be bilateral or multilateral, symmetric or asymmetric, highly institutionalized or largely unstructured. Regardless of form, security alliances as instruments of statecraft, at their most fundamental level, reflect a deliberate commitment among states to aggregate resources in the pursuit of common interests. For over 60 years, the U.S.–Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance has defended South Korea from external attack and, through the combined efforts of both countries, contributed to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in Northeast Asia, across the Asia-Pacific, and beyond.

Document Type

Policy Brief

Region(s)

Asia, Northeast Asia/Korea Peninsula

Topic(s)

National Security, Defense Policy, Strategic Competition

Publication Date

2-2016

Publication

Strategic Forum

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Keywords

Korean unification, U.S.-ROK alliance, Alliance defense commitments, North Korea implications, Peninsula stability, Combined defense posture, Alliance interoperability, Extended deterrence, ROK military modernization

Korean Unification and the Future of the U.S.-ROK Alliance

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