Korea: security pivot in Northeast Asia

Korea has long been at the center of East Asian politics, and the strength of the South Korean economy ensures that it will only become more important in the coming years. With North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons and its ominous behavior toward its neighbor to the south, the divided country is a serious security concern. Yet there is a strong desire in both countries for a unified Korea. This book takes a clear-eyed look at the implications of Korean reunification for Northeast Asia and U.S. security policy in the region. The authors note that Korean reunification, or some sort of Korean peace treaty, is likely to occur in the coming decade, possibly very soon. This significant change in Korean relations will create a radically new situation in the region. Korean unification will open up the issues of a continued U.S. military presence in Korea (and possibly in Japan as well) and of relations between Korea and its Asian neighbors (particularly China and Japan) and Russia. Korean unification, they argue, will pose severe challenges for Japan and China in particular. The contributors argue that a continued American military deployment in Korea--and in Japan--will be necessary after unification to maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia. They provide a detailed analysis of the political, economic, social, and cultural implications of Korean unification and offer insights into how U.S. policy can help ensure continued peace in the region.