ROK - U.S. relations in Lee Myung Bak government: toward a vision of a 21st century strategic alliance/ Sang-Hyun Lee

The meeting between South Korea president Lee Myung Bak and U.S. President George W. Bush in April 2008 came an agreement between both parties to upgrade the ROK-U.S. alliance into a 21st century strategic alliance. The vision of a strategic alliance has three components: (1) a values-oriented partnership based on the principles of democracy and the free market; (2) an alliance that cultivates deeper trust through political, social, and economic interchanges; and (3) teamwork that cooperates to promote both regional and global peace. Although this vision may fundamentally be correct, it also raises many concerns and tasks in managing many alliance issues and coordinating North Korea policy. The vision of a strategic alliance requires a fundamental transformation of the ROK-U.S. alliance as it currently exists. The alliance faces two overwhelming challenges: constructing a new common defense policy in the aftermath of the dissolution of the CFC; and coordinating viable common approaches toward North Korea.

KOREA