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U.S.-South Korea Alliance Adapting to Societal Changes

Counterterrorism, democracy building higher priorities for U.S., envoy says

One of the greatest challenges facing the alliance between the United States and South Korea is how to enhance public awareness of the changes taking place in both societies, says U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow.

"It is my observation that some people still do not fully appreciate the magnitude of the impact the September 11 attacks had on America, and likewise Americans seem to have a hard time grasping the changes unfolding recently in Korea," Vershbow said March 22 in an address to the Korean Military Academy Association of Graduates in Seoul.

In response to the 2001 attacks, U.S. security policy has undergone a fundamental shift from deterrence to prevention, he said. As a result, the United States has placed a higher priority on stopping terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and on "promoting the spread of freedom and democracy as the best antidote to extremist ideologies."

Korean society also has experienced "profound changes" that have implications for its alliance with the United States, such as the rapidly expanding influence of younger generations through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the Internet, the ambassador said. (See related article.)

ENGAGEMENT WITH NORTH KOREA

"Growing up in a post-Korean War society," Vershbow said, these Koreans "are relatively free of the Cold War mentality" most of their elders have. This situation has affected South Korea's foreign policy objectives as younger Koreans gain political influence.

"Many Koreans no longer see North Korea as an enemy, but as a partner in need of assistance and understanding," he said.

Vershbow said the United States supports Seoul's policy of engagement with the North Korean regime in Pyongyang.

"[T]wo-way interaction can bring positive changes in North Korea over the medium and long term - changes that will ultimately contribute to the chances of a smooth reunification process in which the values of freedom and democracy, now fully rooted in South Korea, extend across the entire Korean Peninsula," the ambassador said.

However, he added, North Korea still needs to fulfill its commitment to eliminate its nuclear weapons, end its nuclear programs, stop illicit activities such as money laundering and counterfeiting and address human rights abuses. (See related article.)

"Our two countries may differ on details or on tactics but there is no gap on our objectives," he said.

SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

In looking to the future of the alliance, the envoy said the United States and South Korea need to "remain active in explaining not only how our alliance has served us well for the past 56 years, but how it is changing in ways that will service both countries' interests for the next 50 years and beyond." (See related article.)

Vershbow cited South Korea's support for the War on Terror, assistance in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as international peacekeeping operations in Africa and other areas.

"These contributions do not go unnoticed by the community of nations and by the people of Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

FREE-TRADE AGREEMENT TALKS

Vershbow said that the people of the United States and South Korea also need to know that the alliance is becoming "more than a military pact." He noted the recent decision to hold free-trade agreement (FTA) talks between Seoul and Washington and said a U.S.-South Korean FTA will provide more jobs and prosperity as well as an increase in gross domestic product for South Korea. (See related article.)

"The business communities of both countries also strongly support an FTA, because they understand most profoundly the opportunities it represents," he said.

Source: U.S. Department of State

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