Transformation of Korea-U.S. Alliance and North Korean Threat: A South Korean Public Perspective

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 고려대학교 일민국제관계연구원
· 수록지 정보 : 국제관계연구 / 15권 / 1호 / 219 ~ 240페이지
· 저자명 : 남궁곤

초록

The questions to be reviewed here are concerned with the ROK-U.S. alliance and its relation to North Korean nuclear issues since the inauguration of the new administration in South Korea in 2008 especially from the context of South Korean public opinion. This paper examines how South Koreans’ foreign policy beliefs show consistent structure. Also, despite the change of administrations in 2008, how South Koreans’ appreciation of the ROK-U.S. alliance translates into preferences for a higher level of commitment, the bilateral cooperation in general, and how it affects the North Korean issues specifically are to be examined. To explore the South Korean’s appreciation of the ROK-U.S. alliance and its relations to their attitudes toward North Korean nuclear issues, this study examines survey data conducted by the East Asia Institute (hereafter EAI) in Korea in June 2008. The statistical analysis of the polling data shows that positive South Korean views of the ROK-U.S. alliance are strongly associated with their perceptions of North Korea’s military threat and development of nuclear capabilities. Alliance supporters are dissatisfied with North Korea’s approach to dealing with nuclear issues and are more inclined to perceive North Korea as a definite threat to peninsular and regional stability. Their optimistic evaluation of inter-Korean relations reflects a pragmatic posture that comes from their appreciation of the ROK-U.S. alliance.

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