United States South Korean Alliance Essay Example for Free

United States South Korean Alliance Essay About 55 years have been passed since the U. S. -R. O. K. alliance, a pillar of East Asia security indeed, which has been proven to be quite successful and beneficial to both the countries in the history of International Relations. For the Republic of Korea, the security guaranteed by this alliance has acted as a major instrument for its transformation. While on the other end, the United States expresses its gratified sentiments to have played a vital role in supporting the progression of democracy, human rights and in holding out its aid for the very survival of the population in the Republic of Korea. A set of mutually related policies of understanding and agreement exist in this alliance. There happens to be a series of goals, whose accomplishment has been a shared responsibility of both the partners. A strong foundation indeed, this firm security alliance has turned the very relationship into a more mature and inclusive partnership for both the countries. However, lately, this longstanding alliance has undergone an intricate time. There exist a number of challenges which seem to pose quite a concentrated threat to this collaboration. Concerns are growing at both ends, with experts and historians wondering over what the future would be for this alliance. Nonetheless, deep down, both the parties foresee the much feared atrophy as a terrible mistake. â€Å"Experts say friction in the U. S. -South Korean relationship is hardly new, but the alliance has managed to endure. † And for a continued survival, both the countries need to envision a renewed perspective towards the very many present and forthcoming challenges. The History Following the post-World War II splitting of the peninsula between the then occupying forces of the United States in the south and the now called Soviet Union in the north, as the promised national elections continued to pend, the United Nations in 1948 finally pronounced the Republic of Korea (R. O. K. ) as the only legal and rightful government on the peninsula. This assertion was highly rejected by the Soviets. In retaliation, the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) invaded South Korea in 1950. This was the time when the United States held out its support and reached to the rescue. Insuperable challenges had to be faced as the struggle continued till 1953, and an armistice finally took effect. It was in 1954, that the United States and South Korea approached and mutually signed the U. S. -R. O. K. Mutual Security Agreement. In this, they corresponded to protect each other in the episode of outside aggression. Present Challenges to the Alliance Society does change with time. For natives it may be acceptable as it is about their own country, but when it is in relation to some other country, even if it is a coalition partner, things get a little complicated. For both South Korea and United States, the issue of raising public awareness , of the changes taking place in each other’s society is the biggest challenge fronting their alliance. The impact of the September 11 attacks on America, and the resulting magnitude of its effect wasn’t and still isn’t fully appreciated. Similarly, on the part of Americans, it is also tough for them to cope with the radical changes evolving within Korea. For America, the September 11 attacks chiefly affected their foreign relations, as well as the political, domestic and economic landscape. If considered in some other context, rather than that of September 11 and the subsequent fundamental changes it brought to the American society, the U. S. policy of fighting against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and promoting the spread of autonomy and social equality as the best solution to extremist ideologies, creates unrest in the international community. Thereupon, the South Korean government unwaveringly and gallantly supported the war on terrorism, at the same time exposing itself as a fervent supporter of democracy around the world and playing an active role in encouraging constructive changes in the developing world. Such common interests of the two countries and next to no areas of conflict are a merit in their alliance. In 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung adopted the â€Å"sunshine policy,† an Asian variant of the â€Å"Ostpolitik† policies pursued by West Germany toward the Communist East during the Cold War. Kim extended his proposal of economic and altruistic support to North Korea. In return it asked the North Korean government to be humble in recouping the contacts between long-divided families and other cultural concession, under the intention to defrost the inter-Korean relations. However, a generational divide largely exists in South Korea over how to handle it. The abysmal memory of the 1950 war that frets the older generation about relations with the DPRK, while the younger generation’s empathy with the impoverished North Korea, and who instead, has powerful reminiscence of their own nation’s tyrannical rule, are indeed two opposite sides of the picture. Due to this generational fault line, a paradigm shift has been brought about in the foreign policy objectives, as many Koreans of today’s time, who grew up in a room knowing only democracy, independence, freedom and global impact, no longer see North Korea as an enemy. Instead, they consider it a partner in need of support and understanding. They expect to achieve genuine peace, settlement and reunion through augmented exchanges and collaboration with North Korea. Now here, the North Korea’s nuclear program appears in the limelight, being a big challenge to South Korea and its alliance with the U. S. In 1994, four countries consisting of North and South Korea, Japan and the United States arrived at â€Å"Agreed Framework† Pact whose purpose was to end the North’s nuclear weapons research in return for economic and political privileges. In order to carry out the terms of the pact, the â€Å"Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization† (KEDO) was established by the United States, Japan and North Korea. But it wasn’t far away when North Korea started violating the agreement and troubles started rising. The U. S. President Bush terminated diplomatic talks with North Korea in 2001. The relations kept on fraying, and in 2005 when North Korea claimed that it has nuclear weapons, followed by the July 2006 long-range missile tests that it carried out, operated to further aggravate tensions. This made the U. S. to hard-boil against the DPRK. Due to this, South Korea, on the other end, also had to cut the humanitarian aid to its northern neighbor. At the same time, however, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who did not want to lose ground on the progress that had been made so far in the inter-Korean relations, tried to give a lower profile to the July missile tests, being of the view that the weapons were not as much a bigger threat to the United States as they were for Seoul, the capital of South Korea. In reality, for South Korea, the North Korean nuclear weapons, is not a critical issue – it never was. In fact, its prime concern is how to settle the issue of national unification and incorporate North Korea back into the world’s most active region, whether or not there are nuclear weapons. In contrast, U. S. concerns are global and military. Being so over focused on the anti-terrorism issue, the United States has been emphasizing on denuclearizing the North, viewing this policy as a narrow addition to its anti-terrorism policy. Therefore, the attitude toward DPRK missile tests and the disapproval shown by the South Korean President towards such an increased authorization incensed the U. S. government. South Korea also, in return, objected the fact America is ignoring about all the gains it has made so far. Such beliefs and different strategic priorities have led to serious strains, resulting in the upsetting of the U. S. -South Korean alliance. Regarding the issue, the Six-Party talks among the United States, Russia, Japan, China, North and South Korea, was thought to act as a basis for a closer coordination between the two alliances, and also for the purpose of convincing North Korea to join the international community by giving up its nuclear weapons program, and getting out of its self-imposed remoteness.