Korea in Postwar U.S. Security Policy,
Abstract
Historically, Korea has had a strategic importance far out of proportion to its size. This importance was linked for centuries to the competition between Japan and China for control over the peninsula. In the post-World War II period, Korea's importance has stemmed from its geopolitical position at the intersection of conflicting great power interests in East Asia. In this period, the United States and the Soviet Union became the central actors. Throughout the post-war period, however, the United States has vacillated in its appreciation of Korea's strategic importance, and in its estimation of Korea's value in terms of U.S. global strategy. This has given U.S. security policy toward Korea a basic quality of ambivalence. It has also allowed U.S. policy to fluctuate between the extremes of intervention and with-drawal, leaving in its wake a sense of ambiguity regarding America's fundamental commitment to the defense of Korea. As we proceed through the 1980s, the task for policymakers is to provide a coherent and consistent policy toward the security of Korea. The purpose of this paper is to take a step in this direction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA121223
Entities
People
- Norman D. Levin
- Richard L. Sneider
Organizations
- RAND Corporation