The School of Foreign Service and the Center for Strategic International Studies convened a panel on relations between South Korea and the United States which resulted in a 26-page report titled “Strengthening the U.S.-ROK Alliance: A Blueprint for the 21st Century.” SFS Dean Robert Gallucci and SFS professor Victor Cha, both of whom are experts on affairs in the peninsula, endorsed the report along with many other prominent South Korean academics.

The report addresses current pressing obstacles between South Korea and the United States brought about by the North Korean nuclear weapons program in addition to deep rifts developing between South Korea and the United States. The policy offers a guide for the Bush administration in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program in the next couple months and how to forge a long-term stable relationship with the peninsula despite rising anti-U.S. sentiment and other domestic challenges.

“Most immediate is the challenge posed by North Korea and its nuclear weapons program,” the report said. “Events in the coming months could determine whether it will be possible to return to a path of reconciliation [between the two Koreas] through negotiations or whether North Korea will become a nuclear power.”

North Korea’s recent announcement that it intends to pursue nuclear weapons has instilled a feeling of uncertainty and distrust from South Korea who is seeking to pacify its neighbor. At the same time, the fear of a hardline American retaliation against North Korea’s nuclear program has antagonized the already agitated South Korean public opinion, the report stated.

“[A] perceived U.S. shift towards unilateral action has undermined the strength of some alliances and caused a backlash … in South Korea,” the report said. “That perception has added to the ever present fear that Washington will sacrifice South Korea for its own interests.”

China is seeking “[to] play a greater role in promoting inter-Korean reconciliation,” the report added. The feeling seems mutual on the peninsula, as South Korea is the fifth largest investor in China and has worked to make it its primary trading partner. Furthermore, China remains North Korea’s only ally in the region and still maintains a defensive alliance with the nation.

In light of these short-term and long-term issues, the report suggested a three part plan for how to strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance: first, to develop a new security agenda, second, to commit to human rights across Asia, and finally to deepen economic ties between the United States and South Korea.

Building upon the traditional scope of the alliance, the report asserted that U.S. forces are critical for ensuring security in the region and that “a U.S. military presence remains necessary to defend the integrity of the Republic of Korea.”

The report also urges that the alliance needs to make the next step towards assuring stability across Asia and not just the peninsula. This move will not only help combat political instability in the wake of the Asian economic crisis, the report said, but will also empower a deeper and more substantial mission between South Korea and the United States which no longer focuses solely on deterring North Korea.

“Promoting an agenda based on common values and human security will help promote the notion of a relationship that stands for something not against something,” the report recommended.

The report finally reiterates the importance of cooperation between the nations saying that, “The vision, courage and engagement of U.S. and ROK leaders will be essential to transform the alliance to meet the challenges of the next 50 years.”