U. S. - South Korean Alliance

The inconclusive outcome of the Korean War left a peninsula divided between two nations engaged in a deadly cold war. An important aspect of the continuing hostilities was America's security guarantee to South Korea. Despite enormous geopolitical changes wrought by the accelerating collapse of communism, the United States has a standing pledge to go to war if necessary to thwart a North Korean attack. This volume assesses the current and future viability of the U.S.-South Korean alliance from military, political, and economic perspectives. Currently South Korea enjoys an enormous economic edge over the Communist North whose stagnant economy labors under the strain of excessive military spending and increasing political isolation. Citing these factors in light of the worldwide Communist retreat, Ted Galen Carpenter, Stephen D. Goose, Doug Bandow, Selig Harrison, and Dae-Sook Suh argue in favor of a gradual U.S. military disengagement. They point out crucial weaknesses in North Korea's political and military infrastructure and demonstrate that South Korea has grown increasingly capable of defending itself against Northern aggression. Far more skeptical than the other authors concerni