The Evolution of the South Korea–United States Alliance

In contrast to previous studies of the South Korea-United States alliance, Uk Heo and Terence Roehrig analyze the bigger picture, including the history, economics, security, alliance structure, politics, and the future of the alliance. Taking alliance theory as a starting point, the authors argue that the alliance provides an ideal case study to examine how the political development and economic growth of junior partners impact an alliance. As South Korea's capabilities and ambitions have grown, the alliance has evolved from an asymmetric regional security relationship to an economic partnership with global interests, while China's rise and North Korea's nuclear development mean that South Korea remains of strategic importance for American interests in East Asia. This book will be read both as a major contribution to Korean studies and the study of alliance politics and theory.

Introduction; 1. Theory and the ROK-US alliance; 2. Early relations and establishing the ROK-US alliance; 3. Democratization and alliance; 4: Security motivations for the alliance; 5. Economic growth and the KOR-US free trade agreement; 6. Changing military dimensions of the alliance; Conclusion: the joint vision and the future of the alliance.

Uk Heo is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and an International Scholar at Kyung Hee University, South Korea.
Terence Roehrig is Professor of National Security Affairs and Director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Group at the US Naval War College.