USFK realignment and ROK-US alliance

초록

The realignment of U.S. 2nd ID might bring about positive results by intensifying U.S. military pressure on the North and bringing the North to the negotiating table. This, then, would raise a need to link the realignment of U.S. 2nd ID to the rear, and for North Korea, to reciprocate by deploying a part of its troops and artilleries 100 to 200km backward from the DMZ in the context of confidence building and arms control. By stepping up pressure for dialogue, the realignment of the USFK and the enhancements of ROK-US combined forces could have a positive impact on resolving the security crisis surrounding the Korean peninsula by inducing the North to engage in negotiations and addressing the nuclear threat. Should this be coupled with an expansion of inter-Korean economic cooperation (e.g., Gaesung industrial compound) and an inter-Korean sharing of logistical channels, both economies could benefit. Also, 2nd ID realignment could stabilize the environment in which the USFK is stationed and, perhaps in the long term, expand public support for the ROK-US alliance by reducing tension between residents in northern Gyonggi Province and the U.S. armed forces. Collateral damage to civilians caused by the USFK fanned anti-U.S. demonstrations, and the strained ROK-US alliance at the same time. Seoul will be able to address the root cause of growing anti-U.S. resentment only when it takes positive action, and makes an investment to compensate for, and minimize civilian damages caused by the USFK.