Confronting Security Challenges on the Korean Peninsula

By Bruce E. Bechtol Jr.

Book Overview

NOTE: NO FURTHER DISCOUNT FOR THIS PRINT PRODUCT - OVERSTOCK SALE -- Significantly reduced list price The Korean Peninsula was and is in a state of flux. More than 60 years after the war that left the country divided, the policies and unpredictability of the North Korean regime, in conjunction with the U.S. alliance with South Korea and the involvement of China in the area, leave the situation there one of the most capricious on the globe. Confronting Security Challenges on the Korean Peninsula presents the opinions from experts on the subject matter from the policy, military, and academic communities. Drawn from talks at a conference in September 2010 at Marine Corps University, the papers explore the enduring security challenges, the state of existing political and military relationships, the economic implications of unification, and the human rights concerns within North and South Korea. They also reiterate the importance for the broader East Asia region of peaceful resolution of the Korean issues. The panels addressed important issues relevant for both the present and future of the Korean Peninsula that remain important for the analysis and planning of future military operations and diplomatic relationships. The peninsula is also an important security pivot in U.S. foreign policy and military planning in the region--and one that will continue to be the focus of attention for Washington because of the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance, and the unpredictable instability of the North Korean regime. On the first panel, "Strategic Challenges on the Korean Peninsula," all three of the papers presented are included as chapters in this book. .All of the individuals who were kind enough to contribute their chapters to this volume are former active duty U.S. or South Korean military personnel who continue to contribute to the scholarship relating to Korea through their work with the government and policy communities. In chapter 2, "North Korea's Strategy of Compellence, Provocations, and the Northern Limit Line," Robert M. Collins discusses the discernible patterns of security policy that North Korea has displayed in recent years. To do this, he addresses many recent and important issues, such as the sinking of the ROK Navy corvette Cheonan , North Korea's brinkmanship and provocations, and possible actions that the ROK-U.S. alliance can take to deter these actions. In the second paper (chapter 3) from the first panel, "ee ROK-U.S. Military Alliance: Transformation and Change," Cheon Seongwhun suggests a unique and comprehensive approach to strengthening the alliance in light of the complex relationships and history that has existed between these two great nations. He offers policy recommendations and important perspectives that provide balance and shed light on the political, military, and cultural issues that play a role in giving us all a better understanding of what many consider to be Washington's most important security relationship in East Asia. Doug Joong Kim, in the third paper from the first panel (chapter 4), discusses how South Korean policy has changed dramatically since the election of President LeeMyung-bak.Kim makes a compelling case for the school of thought that since President Lee's inauguration, South Korea has been far more capable of containing North Korean aggression, of moving closer to its key ally the United States, and improving its stature and operational readiness as a force for security and stability in Northeast Asia. The second panel of the symposium was important because it addressed an issue that has come to the forefront since the revelations of Kim Jongil's poor health--"Planning for Contingencies on the Korean Peninsula." It has now become apparent from recent events in the North, that present and future

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0160903017
• ISBN13: 9780160903014
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: Marine Corps Association
• Length: 232 Pages