United States Forward Presence in a Unified Korea
Abstract
The dynamics of the North-South relationship could very well shift over the next decade. Once again there are signs of North Korea crumbling which may lead to a potential unification of the North and South. Although a Korea unification could be a good thing by reducing military tension on the peninsula; with unification coms several questions. What will become the United States rationale to retain military presence on the Korea peninsula after unification? Will this potential unification change the force structure of the United States military in Korea? Will the roles and responsibilities of our military change based on unification? Will our policy shift from being the leading military role to possibly a support role or to strictly forward presence? To address these questions, I will provide a brief historical perspective on the Korean peninsula, highlight the United States, Japan's, China's, and Russia's, enduring interests in Korea, and finally analyze our U.S. military force structure and its role and responsibility upon unification. Although the potential unification of North and South Korea exists; forward deployment of U.S. troops in Korea may be required for stabilization and security balance throughout the region. A total withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean peninsula could very easily create a power vacuum that could lead to major shifts in the overall strategic equation in the Asian region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA401659
Entities
People
- Kurt J. Stein
Organizations
- United States Army War College