{ "id": "R41481", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "R", "number": "R41481", "active": true, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov, EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "summary": null, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R41481", "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "type": "CRS Report", "formats": [ { "sha1": "8089da7a20a15db643eadec176ea2fde14bc3b5b", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41481/86", "filename": "files/2022-02-24_R41481_8089da7a20a15db643eadec176ea2fde14bc3b5b.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-02-24_R41481_8089da7a20a15db643eadec176ea2fde14bc3b5b.html" } ], "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "retrieved": "2022-03-31T04:04:56.526638", "date": "2022-02-24", "typeId": "R", "id": "R41481_86_2022-02-24", "active": true }, { "summary": null, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R41481", "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "type": "CRS Report", "formats": [ { "sha1": "cd1582d184ddf1e3ea2cdaea764e572b3b2fb772", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41481/84", "filename": "files/2022-02-17_R41481_cd1582d184ddf1e3ea2cdaea764e572b3b2fb772.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-02-17_R41481_cd1582d184ddf1e3ea2cdaea764e572b3b2fb772.html" } ], "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "retrieved": "2022-03-31T04:04:56.525871", "date": "2022-02-17", "typeId": "R", "id": "R41481_84_2022-02-17", "active": true }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 463150, "date": "2017-08-04", "retrieved": "2017-08-22T13:36:18.065490", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (officially the Republic of Korea or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia. Since the early 1950s, the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty commits the United States to help South Korea defend itself. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK, which is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. The two countries\u2019 economies are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner (China is its first-largest). Political changes in both countries in 2017 along with North Korea\u2019s increasing military capabilities have produced strains in the relationship. \nCoordination of North Korea Policy\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant bilateral strategic concern. The Trump Administration appears to have raised North Korea\u2019s nuclear and missile programs to a top U.S. foreign policy priority, and has adopted an approach of increasing pressure on Pyongyang in the hopes of convincing the North Korean regime \u201cto de-escalate and return to the path of dialogue.\u201d The Administration has emphasized pushing China, which accounts for around 90% of North Korea\u2019s trade, to do more to pressure North Korea. North Korea\u2019s two tests in July 2017 of long-range ballistic missiles, which some observers characterized as having intercontinental range, has heightened the U.S. sense of urgency over the North Korean issue.\nROK President Moon Jae-in, elected in May 2017, has said he supports the continuation of sanctions against North Korea if it is aimed at bringing North Korea to the negotiating table. He also argued, however, against a \u201csanctions-only\u201d approach toward North Korea. Instead, President Moon envisions denuclearization policy and low-level inter-Korean initiatives as complementary and in July 2017 proposed holding several inter-Korean dialogues. These initiatives appear to have caused some tension in U.S.-ROK relations, but North Korea\u2019s lack of a response to them and its continued missile testing appear to have ameliorated disagreements between Washington and Seoul, at least temporarily.\nThe U.S.-ROK Alliance\nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform their alliance, including the relocation of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral contingency planning, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in South Korea. China has protested the THAAD deployment and appears to have taken retaliatory measures against ROK companies and economic interests. President Moon at first delayed finishing the deployment but then reversed himself after North Korea\u2019s July 29, 2017, long-range missile test. According to U.S. military officials, South Korea pays roughly half of the nonpersonnel costs of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea. Many analysts think that the Trump Administration will demand that South Korea increase its cost-sharing payments. \nBilateral Economic Relations\nThe KORUS FTA has been the centerpiece of U.S.-Korea trade and investment relations since its entry into force in 2012, but views on KORUS FTA\u2019s economic outcomes are mixed. Most U.S. business groups highlight market access improvements and a more robust mechanism for dispute resolution, but others have raised concerns over implementation, for example with respect to specific issues such as country-of-origin verifications. The Trump Administration has repeatedly criticized the agreement, focusing on the growth in the bilateral trade deficit since its entry into force, and has called for modifications. Following a U.S. request, the two nations are expected to convene a special committee under the KORUS FTA to discuss the agreement and possible changes. The scope of these discussions remains unclear but may be limited to date, as the Administration has yet to officially notify Congress of its intent to negotiate with South Korea, a requirement for any trade agreement negotiation to receive expedited legislative consideration.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41481", "sha1": "3bbccc2690c2839571332611306b38d044c02d3b", "filename": "files/20170804_R41481_3bbccc2690c2839571332611306b38d044c02d3b.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R41481_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170804_R41481_images_fef49c4260c73708f9407dced6658f69482cb3c6.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R41481_files&id=/1.png": "files/20170804_R41481_images_8053ca277a9bc2108ec0eb8521c90fd7ea2db13c.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R41481_files&id=/3.png": "files/20170804_R41481_images_362afd913a1d902b9a27bfa46db3c74c51dc92c2.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R41481_files&id=/2.png": "files/20170804_R41481_images_d1e5644ed7b4bab4194cd3d06ba2eff84f6baecb.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41481", "sha1": "5996856dc5b9f956c2e8ab13db9973fbe9835aa0", "filename": "files/20170804_R41481_5996856dc5b9f956c2e8ab13db9973fbe9835aa0.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4911, "name": "East Asia & Pacific" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 461716, "date": "2017-05-23", "retrieved": "2017-06-07T15:36:11.426145", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia. Congressional interest in South Korea is driven by both security and trade interests. Since the early 1950s, the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty commits the United States to help South Korea defend itself. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK, which is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. The two countries\u2019 economies are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner. Between 2009 and the end of 2016, relations between the two countries arguably reached their most robust state in decades. Political changes in both countries in 2017, however, have generated uncertainty about the state of the relationship. \nCoordination of North Korea Policy\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the relationship. The Trump Administration appears to have raised North Korea\u2019s nuclear and missile programs to a top U.S. foreign policy priority, and has adopted an approach of increasing pressure on Pyongyang in the hopes of convincing the North Korean regime \u201cto de-escalate and return to the path of dialogue.\u201d The Administration has emphasized pushing China, which accounts for over 80% of North Korea\u2019s trade, to do more to pressure North Korea. \nROK President Moon Jae-in, elected in May 2017, has said he supports the continuation of sanctions against North Korea if it is aimed at bringing North Korea to the negotiating table. He also argued, however, against what many critics called the Park-Obama \u201csanctions-only\u201d approach toward North Korea. President Moon has called for pressure on the nuclear issue to be accompanied by reopening inter-Korean cooperation projects and dialogues if there is \u201ca shift in North Korea\u2019s attitude or under the right circumstances.\u201d It remains unclear whether these moves could clash with the Trump Administration\u2019s call to apply \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d on North Korea. \nThe U.S.-ROK Alliance\nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform their alliance. Washington and Seoul are relocating U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral contingency planning, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. China has protested the THAAD deployment and has appeared to have taken some retaliatory measures against South Korean companies and economic interests. President Moon, who in the past criticized the deployment, has said that he will review THAAD by weighing the \u201cgains and losses\u201d to South Korea. According to U.S. military officials, South Korea pays roughly half of the nonpersonnel costs of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea. Many analysts think that the Trump Administration will demand that South Korea increase its cost-sharing payments. \nBilateral Economic Relations\nThe United States and South Korea are among each other\u2019s top trading partners and the bilateral economic relationship has grown in terms of both trade and investment since the KORUS FTA\u2019s entry into force in 2012. Views on KORUS FTA\u2019s economic outcomes are mixed. Most U.S. business groups highlight market access improvements and a more robust mechanism for dispute resolution, but others have raised concerns over specific implementation issues such as origin verifications. The Trump Administration has criticized the KORUS FTA, focusing on the growth in the bilateral trade deficit since its entry into force. The Administration has stated its intent to review and renegotiate KORUS, but has not yet specified what it would seek to amend. A potential renegotiation could be informed by two ongoing investigations examining U.S. trade deficits and U.S. trade agreements, both of which include South Korea.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41481", "sha1": "6e5f251b4e6c85456e9c11f40b680ecd32542e69", "filename": "files/20170523_R41481_6e5f251b4e6c85456e9c11f40b680ecd32542e69.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41481", "sha1": "6c13733ddc8af813004ba39a811882b378561f35", "filename": "files/20170523_R41481_6c13733ddc8af813004ba39a811882b378561f35.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4911, "name": "East Asia & Pacific" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 460291, "date": "2017-04-04", "retrieved": "2017-04-11T15:01:18.750691", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (known officially as the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia. Several factors drive congressional interest in South Korea-related issues. First, the United States and South Korea have been military allies since the early 1950s. The U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty commits the United States to help South Korea defend itself, particularly against any aggression from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK, which is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Second, Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. Third, the two countries\u2019 economies are closely entwined and are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner. \nBetween 2009 and the end of 2016, relations between the two countries arguably reached their most robust state in decades. Political changes in both countries in 2017, however, have introduced new factors and brought some uncertainty to the relationship. Many analysts expect core elements of the military alliance to endure. At the same time, tensions could emerge in other areas. South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached in December 2016 and removed from office in March 2017. A new president is scheduled to be elected on May 9, 2017. Some of the leading candidates favor policy approaches, particularly toward North Korea, China, and Japan, that could be at odds with U.S. policy. Additionally, if the United States pursues new policies with regard to North Korea, alliance cost-sharing, and economic policies, bilateral tensions could re-emerge. \nCoordination of North Korea Policy\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the U.S.-South Korean relationship. From 2009 to 2016, Seoul and Washington maintained tight coordination over North Korea policy, adopting a joint approach that contained elements of both pressure and engagement. In response to Pyongyang\u2019s perceived intransigence and provocative behavior, Washington and Seoul emphasized the harder elements of their approach, particularly following North Korea\u2019s two nuclear tests and multiple missile launches in 2016.\nAs of late March 2017, the Trump Administration had yet publicly to set forth a fully detailed North Korea policy, though administration officials have stated the administration has conducted a policy review that considered a range of options. Statements by Administration officials appear to indicate an increased emphasis on pressure, including sanctions, against Pyongyang. Among South Korea\u2019s presidential candidates, leading contenders in opinion polls support opening more avenues of dialogue, economic engagement, and humanitarian cooperation with North Korea than did President Park. \nThe U.S.-ROK Alliance\nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform their alliance. Washington and Seoul are relocating U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral contingency planning, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by deploying the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea. China has protested the THAAD deployment and has appeared to have taken some retaliatory measures against South Korean companies and economic interests. \nAccording to U.S. military officials, South Korea pays roughly half of the non-personnel costs of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea. Many analysts think that the Trump Administration will demand that South Korea increase its cost-sharing payments. \nBilateral Economic Relations\nThe Administration has stated that it will examine and potentially renegotiate existing U.S. FTAs. KORUS entered into force in 2012, and views on its economic outcomes are mixed. Though many U.S. businesses highlight improved market access and a more robust mechanism for dispute resolution, the size of the trade deficit with South Korea\u2014the seventh largest U.S. bilateral trade deficit in 2016\u2014coupled with its growth following KORUS\u2019 implementation, could mean that the Trump Administration may closely review the U.S.-Korea trade pact.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41481", "sha1": "01c71b79e693aae82c5fe89f9be9bc8acc32c0af", "filename": "files/20170404_R41481_01c71b79e693aae82c5fe89f9be9bc8acc32c0af.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41481", "sha1": "0ba4f17a191b5b63d633b2e81ffa66aeb7a158cf", "filename": "files/20170404_R41481_0ba4f17a191b5b63d633b2e81ffa66aeb7a158cf.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4911, "name": "East Asia & Pacific" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 456678, "date": "2016-10-20", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:19:46.611985", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (known officially as the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia, and since 2009 relations between the two countries arguably have been at their most robust state in decades. Several factors drive congressional interest in South Korea-related issues. First, the United States and South Korea have been military allies since the early 1950s. The United States is committed to helping South Korea defend itself, particularly against any aggression from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK and South Korea is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Second, Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. Third, the two countries\u2019 economies are closely entwined and are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner. South Korea has repeatedly expressed interest in and consulted with the United States on possibly joining the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, which has been signed, but not yet ratified by the current 12 participants.\nStrategic Cooperation and the U.S.-ROK Alliance\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the U.S.-South Korean relationship. Under South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Seoul and Washington have maintained tight coordination over North Korea policy, following a joint approach that contains elements of pressure and engagement. In response to Pyongyang\u2019s perceived intransigence and provocative behavior, Washington and Seoul have placed significant emphasis on the harder elements of their approach, particularly following North Korea\u2019s two nuclear tests and multiple missile launches in 2016. \nMost notably, in 2016 (1) the two countries successfully pushed to expand UNSC sanctions and launched a global campaign to persuade other countries to curtail relations with North Korea; (2) they announced that they would deploy the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in South Korea, a step that the two countries had deferred for months and that China has protested loudly; and (3) Seoul shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, an 11-year-old industrial park located in North Korea just across the demilitarized zone where more than 120 South Korean manufacturers employed over 50,000 North Korean workers. Notwithstanding the recent moves against North Korea, some critics say that the Obama Administration\u2019s policy has applied insufficient pressure on Pyongyang to change its behavior, while others argue that it has provided insufficient incentives. \nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform the U.S.-ROK alliance. Washington and Seoul are relocating U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral planning for responding to possible contingencies, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by deploying the THAAD system in South Korea. In a related development, in 2014 the United States and South Korea agreed to delay for the second time a 2007 agreement to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) from U.S. to ROK forces. According to congressional testimony by U.S. military officials, South Korea pays roughly half of the non-personnel costs of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea.\nOn broad strategic matters in East Asia, while South Korean and U.S. perspectives overlap, there are areas of significant differences. For instance, South Korea often hesitates to take steps that antagonize China and has shown mistrust of Japan\u2019s efforts to expand its military capabilities. North Korea\u2019s 2016 nuclear weapons tests and missile launches, however, potentially have shifted the geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia in ways that could bring the United States and South Korea closer together on the best approaches to China and Japan.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41481", "sha1": "6e654ae6f73e92ae654986e3a49323fce2d8a87f", "filename": "files/20161020_R41481_6e654ae6f73e92ae654986e3a49323fce2d8a87f.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41481", "sha1": "105885d67fd074d1535a6ae0b231c3ec01ac8880", "filename": "files/20161020_R41481_105885d67fd074d1535a6ae0b231c3ec01ac8880.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4911, "name": "East Asia & Pacific" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 452177, "date": "2016-04-26", "retrieved": "2016-05-24T19:16:56.571941", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (known officially as the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia, and since 2009 relations between the two countries arguably have been at their most robust state in decades. Several factors drive congressional interest in South Korea-related issues. First, the United States and South Korea have been military allies since the early 1950s. The United States is committed to helping South Korea defend itself, particularly against any aggression from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK and South Korea is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Second, Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. Third, the two countries\u2019 economies are closely entwined and are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner. South Korea has repeatedly expressed interest in and consulted with the United States on possibly joining the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, which has been signed, though not yet ratified by the current 12 participants.\nStrategic Cooperation and the U.S.-ROK Alliance\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the U.S.-South Korean relationship. Under South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Seoul and Washington have maintained tight coordination over North Korea policy, following a joint approach that contains elements of pressure and engagement. In response to Pyongyang\u2019s perceived intransigence and provocative behavior, Washington and Seoul have placed significant emphasis on the harder elements of their approach, particularly following North Korea\u2019s January 2016 nuclear weapon test (its fourth) and February 2016 satellite launch, which violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Most notably, (1) the two countries successfully pushed to expand UNSC sanctions; (2) they announced that they would examine the deployment of a U.S. Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to South Korea, a step that the two allies had deferred for months and that China has protested loudly; and (3) Seoul shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, an 11-year-old industrial park located in North Korea just across the demilitarized zone where more than 120 South Korean manufacturers employed over 50,000 North Korean workers. President Park said the zone\u2019s suspension was \u201conly the beginning\u201d of South Korea\u2019s punitive actions. Notwithstanding the recent moves against North Korea, some critics say that the Obama Administration\u2019s policy has applied insufficient pressure on Pyongyang to change its behavior, while others argue that it has provided insufficient incentives. \nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform the U.S.-ROK alliance. Washington and Seoul are relocating U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral planning for responding to possible contingencies, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by discussing improvements to the two countries\u2019 respective missile defense systems. In a related development, in 2014 the United States and South Korea agreed to delay for the second time a 2007 agreement to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) from U.S. to ROK forces. South Korea pays roughly half of the non-personnel costs of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea.\nOn broad strategic matters in East Asia, while South Korean and U.S. perspectives overlap, there are areas of significant differences. For instance, South Korea often hesitates to take steps that antagonize China and has shown mistrust of Japan\u2019s efforts to expand its military capabilities. North Korea\u2019s early 2016 nuclear weapon test and satellite launch, however, potentially have shifted the geopolitical dynamics in Northeast Asia in ways that could bring the United States and South Korea closer together on the best approaches to China and Japan.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41481", "sha1": "b80f3f82f1549d4b4160d30b49cd118e440e9930", "filename": "files/20160426_R41481_b80f3f82f1549d4b4160d30b49cd118e440e9930.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41481", "sha1": "09612301f0a3f242760f32815c7430665e101bd5", "filename": "files/20160426_R41481_09612301f0a3f242760f32815c7430665e101bd5.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 278, "name": "China, Taiwan, and Mongolia" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 280, "name": "Korean Peninsula and Japan" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 451243, "date": "2016-03-28", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T16:52:39.276814", "title": "U.S.-South Korea Relations", "summary": "Overview\nSouth Korea (known officially as the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States\u2019 most important strategic and economic partners in Asia, and since 2009 relations between the two countries arguably have been at their most robust state in decades. Several factors drive congressional interest in South Korea-related issues. First, the United States and South Korea have been military allies since the early 1950s. The United States is committed to helping South Korea defend itself, particularly against any aggression from North Korea. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are based in the ROK and South Korea is included under the U.S. \u201cnuclear umbrella.\u201d Second, Washington and Seoul cooperate in addressing the challenges posed by North Korea. Third, the two countries\u2019 economies are closely entwined and are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). South Korea is the United States\u2019 seventh-largest trading partner and the United States is South Korea\u2019s second-largest trading partner. South Korea has repeatedly expressed interest in and consulted with the United States on possibly joining the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, which has been signed, though not yet ratified by the current 12 participants.\nStrategic Cooperation and the U.S.-ROK Alliance\nDealing with North Korea is the dominant strategic concern of the U.S.-South Korean relationship. Under South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Seoul and Washington have maintained tight coordination over North Korea policy, following a joint approach that contains elements of pressure and engagement. In response to Pyongyang\u2019s perceived intransigence and provocative behavior, Washington and Seoul have placed significant emphasis on the harder elements of their approach, particularly following North Korea\u2019s January 2016 nuclear weapon test (its fourth) and February 2016 satellite launch, which violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Most notably, (1) the two countries successfully pushed to expand UNSC sanctions; (2) they announced that they would examine the deployment of a U.S. Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to South Korea, a step that the two allies had deferred for months and that China has protested loudly; and (3) Seoul shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex, an 11-year-old industrial park located in North Korea just across the demilitarized zone where more than 120 South Korean manufacturers employed over 50,000 North Korean workers. President Park said the zone\u2019s suspension was \u201conly the beginning\u201d of South Korea\u2019s punitive actions. Notwithstanding the recent moves against North Korea, some critics say that the Obama Administration\u2019s policy has applied insufficient pressure on Pyongyang to change its behavior, while others argue that it has provided insufficient incentives. \nSince 2009, the United States and South Korea have accelerated steps to reform the U.S.-ROK alliance. Washington and Seoul are relocating U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula and boosting ROK defense capabilities. Provocations from North Korea have propelled more integrated bilateral planning for responding to possible contingencies, for instance by adopting policies to respond more swiftly and forcefully to attacks and by discussing improvements to the two countries\u2019 respective missile defense systems. In a related development, in 2014 the United States and South Korea agreed to delay for the second time a 2007 agreement to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) from U.S. to ROK forces. \nOn broad strategic matters in East Asia, while South Korean and U.S. perspectives overlap, there are areas of significant differences. For instance, South Korea often hesitates to take steps that antagonize China and has shown mistrust of Japan\u2019s efforts to expand its military capabilities. 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