U.S., Korea scholars urge alliance update

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U.S., Korea scholars urge alliance update

In a collaborative report, scholars from the United States and South Korea yesterday provided suggestions on how to reinforce the two countries’ alliance in the long term and establish a new strategic partnership.
They urged Seoul and Washington to update their half-century-old alliance through a broader security agenda and common values, as well as deepening economic ties.
The Korean Association of International Studies and the Korea National Defense University opened an international seminar yesterday to review the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
The report, jointly drawn up by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Georgetown University’s Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service in the United States, and the Seoul Forum for International Affairs in South Korea, noted that the alliance needs to cope with challenges created by the changed political climate.
In addition to the immediate challenge posed by North Korea’s nuclear aspirations, scholars of the three organizations cited the less friendly attitude of Americans toward the alliance, as well as the rise of Korean nationalism and anti-U.S. sentiment.
They also cited the gap in South Korea’s and America’s perceptions and policies with respect to North Korea, China’s growing influence on the peninsula, and Japan’s uncertain future as major issues to be addressed to update the alliance.
Stressing that maintaining its alliance with the United States will most benefit Korea even after reunification, the report provided recommendations for Seoul and Washington to tackle immediate challenges and long-term issues to successfully continue their cooperation.
“Use the current nuclear crisis to demonstrate a commitment to peaceful coexistence, multilateral cooperation and the strengthening of the alliance,” the report suggested, adding that if the talks to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem fail, “it must be because of North Korea, not the United States.”
After resolving the nuclear crisis, the two countries should prepare for Korea’s reunification, although the report also suggested that the two sides must also prepare for the possible failure of negotiations to end the North Korean nuclear problem.
In case of failure, the report recommended a joint approach, including statements reminding Pyeongyang that the U.S. nuclear umbrella is still in place, warning against the export by North Korea of weapons of mass destruction, and warning that Seoul would join the Proliferation Security Initiative. It also urged that cooperative preparations to cope with the consequences of North Korea’s collapse be made.
The report, titled “Strengthening the U.S.-ROK Alliance: A Blueprint for the 21st Century,” also asked Seoul and Washington to “issue a joint U.S.-South Korea declaration on the alliance in the 21st century” to stress shared security interests, a commitment to promoting democracy, economic ties and prosperity, preferably before the end of this year, the 50th anniversary of the alliance.
The experts also said that South Korea must assume a primary role in its own defense in cooperation with the United States.
The report also asked the two countries to “strive for a more equal partnership, buttressed by effective consultations and alliance management” and to “build public support for the alliance.” Washington should make public details about its planned shifts in the posture of its forces in Asia in order to ease South Korea’s concerns about the realignment of U.S. forces here, the report suggested.


by Ser Myo-ja
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