Driven by peace operations: a balanced development of the ROK–U.S. alliance

Abstract This article explores ways to find a balance in the asymmetry reflected in ROK–U.S. security relations. For a bilateral alliance to be developed into a healthy strategic partnership, reciprocity should be applied. From the outset, however, the ROK–U.S. alliance was born out of an imbalance, and this character still persists. With no substantial change in the North's threats and geopolitical settings of the Korean peninsula, the gravity of the alliance will continue to lean toward the United States. However, turning to the global dimension, there is room for balancing the relationship on the part of the ROK. It is to take part in the U.S.-led Multinational Peace Operations. After 9/11, the United States has badly needed assistance from its allies, engaging in a tough war on terrorism. So far the ROK has deployed troops several times as part of the U.S.-led Multinational Forces (MNF) missions. Yet, except for fighting in the Vietnam War, South Korea's troop deployment appears relatively limited, th...