Alliance for Self-reliance: R.O.K.-U.S. Security Relations, 1968-71

Abstract

Sang-yoon MaBased on recently declassified documents of the Korean and US governments, this article examines ROK-US security relations during the period of 1968-1971, paying particular attention to the Park Chung Hee government's pursuit of self-reliant security. Two cases are analyzed: (1) the ROK-US negotiations after North Korea's attempted commando raid on the South Korean Presidential mansion and its seizure of the USS Pueblo in January 1968; (2) the Park government's response to the Nixon administration's policy of withdrawing US forces from Korea. Analyzing these cases, the article highlights the irony that the Park government's pursuit of self-reliant security necessitated even greater alliance support from the United States. Park began to seek self-reliance responding to the changing US policy towards East Asia since the late 1960s. He clearly recognized that Korea's self-reliance could not be achieved without substantive US economic, military, and technical support. Park needed alliance with the United States even more for the pursuit of self-reliance.