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tutions. It would be useful for Washington to

equate or nonexistent training, replacement

encourage nations to resolve boundary and

parts, equipment, and food and fuel for its mili-

territorial conflicts through negotiations, per-

tary; an inefficient transportation network; and

haps through such multilateral regional orga-

a lack of allies.51 Moreover, there is nothing

nizations.

unique to the southern section of the peninsu-

The basic goal for America should be to

la--say, a special gravitational field--that pre-

step into the background as local actors take

vents the ROK from building a larger, more

on prime responsibility for their own security

robust military than the North could ever hope

and the stability of their region. Washington

to sustain.

ought to make that process as smooth as pos-

However, Seoul's response to its tempo-

sible, but America's ultimate goal should be to

rary financial travails has been to reduce mili-

endorse a new security architecture that

tary expenditures--a curious action for a

reflects the region's new reality--the absence of

country facing a dangerous and unpre-

an overwhelming hegemonic threat combined

dictable neighbor. South Korea's irresponsi-

with the opportunity for allied states to con-

ble decision doesn't seem to bother the

struct a local balance of power sufficient to

Pentagon, however. Observes DOD, "Despite

constrain any potential aggressor.

a substantial reduction of the ROK's defense

Despite a

budget, the ROK has assured the United

seemingly endless

States that it will maintain combined opera-

Withdraw from Korea

tional readiness and deterrent capabilities."52

succession of

Although South Korea is suffering eco-

promises to

nomic problems, they now seem to be eas-

The starting point for a new Asian strate-

achieve military

ing.53 In any case, the South's economic

gy is disengagement from the Korean penin-

sula, the international flashpoint that has

strength still dwarfs that of the North. Even

parity with the

the greatest potential to involve the United

with its economic troubles, the ROK possess-

DPRK, South

States in a serious war. The Democratic

es twice the population of, around 29 times

Korea never quite

People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) obviously

the GDP of, and a vast technological lead

remains unpredictable and potentially dan-

over North Korea.54 If the danger is as acute as

seems to do so.

gerous, and the Pentagon rightly warns that

claimed by the Pentagon, Seoul should be

"North Korea has not relinquished its goal of

spending more, not less, on defense. Even in

establishing political primacy on the penin-

the midst of a recession, the ROK is well able

sula. Pyongyang continues to maintain a

to spend whatever is necessary to make up for

large, forward-deployed military with robust

the withdrawal of 37,000 American troops.55

capabilities."  Moreover,  argues  DOD,

The North could then choose to engage in

"Although the substantial deterioration in

meaningful arms control negotiations or lose

North Korea's economic conditions has

an inter-Korean arms race.

inevitably affected its military forces, North

But the ROK will not make such an effort

Korea is still capable of inflicting terrible

as long as it can rely on the United States.

destruction on South Korea."49 Other people

Despite a seemingly endless succession of

promises to achieve military parity with the

embrace and even expand the administra-

DPRK, South Korea never quite seems to do

tion's arguments. Three Heritage Foun-

so.56 In the event of war, Seoul is now planning

dation analysts argue that "the North's for-

ward deployed forces require the continued

on an American deployment of 640,000 sol-

presence of 37,000 U.S. troops in South

diers, almost as many as the South has in uni-

Korea."50 Presumably, even a modest reduc-

form in all of its services.57 If South Korea

tion in that number is unacceptable.

made anything close to Pyongyang's commit-

ment to the military, the North could no

End South Korea's Free Riding

longer pose a credible threat to the ROK's

The North faces grievous weaknesses--inad-

security.

9