Introduction
US security interest in the Republic of Korea has two dimensions. One is regional, and the other is global. Since the Korean War (1950-53) the US has remained committed to stabilizing the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia. The US security engagement in South Korea supports US economic and other interests in Japan and strengthens US ability to affect the complex relationship among the four major whose interests converge on the peninsula.
South Korean security interest in the US engagement has long been determined by its security needs based on the prevailing military balance on the Korean peninsula. After the collapse the Soviet Union and South Korean diplomatic success in normalization with China, South Korea has been in a favorable position to confront the North Korean threat, although North Korea still seems an unpredictable powder keg. But the continuing US presence is still viewed by South Koreans as a stabilizing factor.
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