Future-oriented ROK-U.S. Military Alliance
Section 1
Section 1. The Development of a Future-oriented ROK-U.S. Military Alliance
77
The two nations, Korea and the United States, are readjusting the ROK-U.S. Alliance in order to actively respond to the diverse types of security threats that may arise in the future. Under mutual agreement, the two nations are pursuing OPCON transition and USFK relocation.
In the meantime, they are mutually cooperating in various areas, such as international peacekeeping operations (PKOs), stabilization and reconstruction operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
The number of United States Forces in Korea (USFK) troops gradually scaled down from 37,500 in 2003 to 32,500 in 2004 and to 28,500 in 2007.
At the end of 2008, it was expected that the number would be reduced to 25,000. However, at the ROK-U.S. Summit in April 2008, the leaders of the two nations agreed to maintain the number of troops at 28,500 and UHFRQ¿UPHGWKLVDJUHHPHQWLQ$SULODWWKH/RQGRQ6XPPLW7DONV
Through such adjustments of the ROK-U.S. Alliance, the two nations have expanded the scope of their roles and cooperation in diverse areas, going beyond mere security issues, and have provided a foundation upon which their relationship can develop into a reciprocal and mature alliance.
ROK-U.S. Summit Joint Press Conference (Washington, D.C., June 2009)
2. The Future Direction of the ROK-U.S. Alliance
The two nations, the ROK and the U.S., share universal human values, such as liberal democracy, human rights, and a market economy.
Further, based on a mutual trust and respect, they have developed a close collaborative structure for military and security issues. Today, the two nations are taking further steps to enhance mutual cooperation in the economic, social and cultural areas and are seeking to construct the alliance at bilateral as well as regional, and global levels.
In April 2008, the two nations agreed, through the Summit, to strengthen relationship into a 'Comprehensive Strategic Alliance in the 21st Century' that would contribute to peace and security at regional and global levels.
2QWKLVEDVLVLQ-XQHWKHWZRQDWLRQVDGRSWHGWKH-RLQW9LVLRQIRUWKH ROK-U.S. Alliance,' which provided the future-oriented blueprint for the development of the alliance.1
1. The Joint Vision for the ROK-U.S.
Alliance
This is the strategic master plan that provides the blueprint for the future-oriented development of the ROK-U.S.
Alliance. It lays out in detail the developmental goals of the strategic alliance in the 21st century as well as the direction for future cooperation at bilateral, regional and global levels.
ROK-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers Meeting (Seoul, July 2010)
Section 1. The Development of a Future-oriented ROK-U.S. Military Alliance
79
,QWKH-RLQW9LVLRQIRUWKH$OOLDQFHRIWKH52.DQGWKH86$WZR countries laid out in writing that the two nations will continuously provide extended deterrence, including the nuclear umbrella of the U.S., thereby maintaining a strong combined defensive posture and that they will pursue
¿UPSHDFHRQWKH.RUHDQ3HQLQVXODDVZHOODVSHDFHIXOXQL¿FDWLRQRIWKH Koreas, based on liberal democracy and a market economy. With respect to North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the two nations agreed to maintain a close mutual cooperative structure under the principle of complete and verifiable abandonment thereof. In addition, the two nations agreed to engage in close talks to respond to global challenges, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), terror, piracy, organized crime and drugs, climate changes, poverty, infringement of human rights, energy security and contagious diseases.
$WWKH52.866XPPLWKHOGLQ6HRXOLQ1RYHPEHUWKHOHDGHUV of the two nations agreed to hold a '2 plus 2 Talks,' and consequently, the ROK-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministers' Meeting were held in Seoul for WKH¿UVWWLPHLQWKHKLVWRU\RIWKH52.86$OOLDQFH7KURXJKWKLVPHHWLQJ the two nations exercised a suppressive strategy against North Korea, in response to the attack on the ROKS Cheonan, in the diplomatic and defense DUHQDWKHUHE\¿UPO\ZDUQLQJ1RUWK.RUHDDJDLQVWDGGLWLRQDOSURYRFDWLYH actions, in the following ways: strengthening the United States' independent financial sanctions against North Korea and holding massive ROK-U.S.
combined maritime exercises. The two nations also discussed various means of enhancing cooperation between the ROK and the U.S., such as pursuing the ratification of the ROK-U.S. FTA within the year, making efforts regarding amendment to the Nuclear Energy Treaty, and advancing the alliance to a partnership so as to resolve regional and global issues.
In the future the two nations will develop the ROK-U.S. Alliance into a comprehensive strategic alliance to expand their common interests and to contribute to world peace; the two nations will also act to strengthen their cooperation with regional organizations or nations and thereby promote SHDFHDQGSURVSHULW\LQWKH$VLD3DFL¿FUHJLRQ
USS George Washington during ROK-U.S.
Combined Exercises (East Sea, July 2010)
The ROK and the U.S. have agreed to adjust the date for the OPCON Transition from April 17, 2012, to December 1, 2015. The two nations will construct a strong new combined defense system for post-OPCON Transition to replace the current combined defense system for the purpose of deterring war on the Korean Peninsula, national security and protection of the territory should a relevant event arise.
1. Chronology of OPCON Transition 1950-2005
,Q -XO\ 3UHVLGHQW 6\QJPDQ 5KHH KDQGHG RYHU RSHUDWLRQDO command1 of the ROK military to the Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Command (UNC), General Douglas MacArthur. This choice was inevitable in order to protect and defend the country from extreme crises during the Korean War. After the Armistice Agreement, the ROK and the U.S. agreed to keep the ROK forces under the UN Commander's operational control2 to ensure the UNC's commitment toward defending the ROK.
With the establishment of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command
&)&LQ1RYHPEHURSHUDWLRQDOFRQWUROZDVWUDQVIHUUHGIURPWKH81 Commander to the CFC Commander.
'LVFXVVLRQVUHJDUGLQJWKHUHWXUQRI23&21EHJDQLQ$XJXVW when the then Presidential candidate Roh Tae-woo proclaimed 'OPCON Transition and relocation of the Yongsan garrison' to be his campaign pledge. The matter of returning OPCON was also discussed in the U.S.
through the Nunn-Warner Amendment3 and the East Asia Strategic Initiative4($6,$VDUHVXOWWKHWZRQDWLRQVEHJDQWRSXUVXH research and consultations regarding OPCON Transition in earnest.