A Tale of Two Koreas: The Geostrategic Context
Abstract
The high-stakes endgame of the last major confrontation of the Cold War is being played out daily in northeast Asia. Rapidly changing circumstances have forced both Koreas, China, Japan, and the U.S. to reassess their respective security postures and economic interests so as to maintain a sense of advantage in an evershifting environment. From the U.S. point of view, the desired end state is a stable, independent and prosperous Korea at peace with itself and with its neighbors. A peace treaty signifying the end of the 1950-53 Korean War would be an important first step to achieving such an outcome. No one has a crystal ball as to the Koreas' future, so the U.S.'s role is one of trying to "shape" the current environment in a direction that seems most likely to cushion the transition to a nonviolent reconciliation between the estranged states. At the same time, the United States seeks to reduce strategic uncertainty in the region and promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues. Global U.S. interests, such as promoting free trade, protecting the sea lines of communication (SLOCs), and controlling weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation and transnational threats, are also high on the U.S. agenda in the Asia- Pacific region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA441772
Entities
People
- Sheila Peters
Organizations
- National War College