Why can’t affluent South Korea, and affluent Europe for that matter, provide for their own defense? From Doug Bandow at forbes.com:
South Korean Park Geun-hye meets President Barack Obama in Washington today. Nominally it’s a meeting between equals. But Park will reaffirm her nation’s continuing dependence on America. Although the Republic of Korea is well able to defend itself, its head of state apparently is seeking enhanced security aid and approval for engaging North Korea.
The U.S.-ROK alliance is a testament to Public Choice Economics, which analyzes the interests of public bureaucracies and organizations. The treaty was inked in unique circumstances, the aftermath of the three-year Korean War, which left the South wrecked and vulnerable to Pyongyang, allied with both China and the Soviet Union.
That world is gone. Entirely. Completely. America’s security commitment is an anachronism, a leftover from a distant era. But no matter. Like a zombie, the alliance staggers on.
There’s no doubt why Seoul continues to support the security relationship. Despite sometimes feeling humiliated when Washington attempts to determine ROK security policy, the South nevertheless saves money and is safer relying on the global superpower for protection.
As Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations put it, the ROK is “at the epicenter of a geostrategic danger zone.” Better to be cossetted than endangered. Added Snyder, the “alliance is vital to lessen South Korea’s vulnerability to North Korea and rising Asian rivalries.”
A related point was made by Van Jackson of the Center for a New American Century. Objecting to my contention that the South should defend itself, he argued that America’s defense commitment helps deter the North from attacking the ROK. Of course, that is the usual point of defense: prevent a war from happening and win it if it occurs. But, notably, the U.S. guarantee acts as a deterrent for the South, not America, meaning the alliance serves South Korea, not the U.S.
To continue reading: Time To Retire U.S.-ROK Alliance
