ndupress.ndu.edu SF No. 291 1
S
ecurity alliances can take many forms. ey can be bilateral or multilat-
eral, symmetric or asymmetric, highly institutionalized or largely unstruc-
tured. Regardless of form, security alliances as instruments of statecraft,
at their most fundamental level, reect 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 exter-
nal attack and, through the combined eorts of both countries, contributed to
peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in Northeast Asia,
across the Asia-Pacic, and beyond.
For an alliance to endure, it must adapt to changing circumstances. Such
changes may occur in the external security environment or in the domestic dy-
namics of the states themselves. e U.S.-ROK alliance has undergone signi-
cant evolution from its Cold War origins as a narrowly focused, patron-client
relationship to today’s partnership, which is building a comprehensive strategic
alliance for the 21
st
century. e October 2015 U.S.-ROK Summit rearmed
the two countries’ commitment to strengthening the alliance, with President
Barack Obama remarking, “our alliance remains a linchpin of peace and secu-
rity—not just on the Korean Peninsula, but across the region.” For her part,
ROK President Park Geun-hye stated that the alliance was “stronger than ever”
and “moving beyond a security alliance and an economic alliance, and evolving
into a comprehensive global alliance.”
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e strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and the condence it brings have
enabled President Park to embark on an ambitious foreign policy, including
with China. It has also enabled a reenergized inter-Korean policy based on her
concept of “trustpolitik” and elevated Korean unication
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to the center of her
administration’s agenda—and of her legacy as South Korea’s president.
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More
Korean Unication and
the Future of the U.S.-ROK
Alliance
by David F. Helvey
STRATEGIC FORUM
National Defense University
About the Author
David F. Helvey is a Visiting
Distinguished Research Fellow in
the Center for the Study of Chinese
Military Affairs, Institute for National
Strategic Studies, at the National
Defense University. He previously
served as Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Defense for East Asia from
December 2012 to April 2015.
Key Points
Unication of the Korean Peninsula
would remove the primary threat
that has animated the U.S.–Repub-
lic of Korea (ROK) alliance for over
60 years, but it need not require
termination of the alliance.
An alliance between the United
States and a unied Korea would,
at a macro level, reinforce the inter-
national liberal democratic order. At
a micro level, it could help ensure
security on the Korean Peninsula
during the process of integrating
the North, assist in the defense of
Korea, and serve as a platform for
multilateral security cooperation.
A future alliance should be a part
of planning for Korean unication
and should consider the purpose of
the alliance, its roles and missions,
coordinating structures, and pres-
ence (if any) of U.S. troops. It should
also include diplomatic efforts to
assure China, Russia, and Japan that
a future alliance would respect sov-
ereignty and support stability.
A recongured alliance should re-
ect greater equality between the
United States and a unied Korea
to ensure its political sustainabil-
ity in both capitals. Planning for a
future alliance must not erode the
critical functions of deterrence that
the alliance performs today.
February 2016
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF CHINESE MILITARY AFFAIRS
