英文摘要 |
The existing military alliance between the United States and South Korea has evolved from the“Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea”in 1953 to the“Security Consultative Meeting”in 1968, and then to the“USROK Combined Forces Command”in 1978. During the Cold War, the United States government attempted to establish an American-centered mechanism of security and cooperation in the Korean Peninsula, whereas South Korea wanted to develop its domestic economy under an environment of political stability and military protection. Therefore, given the strategic considerations of the military, economy, and politics, the US–ROK alliance has undergone steady development for 60 years. However, this relationship has been challenged in recent years because of domestic problems in South Korea, such as anti-American sentiments, North Korea’s military threat, and calls for the United States to withdraw its troops, as well as international challenges such as the dynamic conditions of China’s rise as the region’s new dominant power. To analyze the possible future of the US–ROK alliance, two theories are applied in this paper to examine US–ROK relations: Stephen Walt’s alliance theory, which specifically addresses the four threats of aggregate power, geographic proximity, offensive power, and aggressive intentions; and Glenn Snyder’s alliance security dilemma theory, which involves the three variables of interests, relative dependence, and the degree of commitment, which influence governmental participation in forming alliances. |