Pursuing a Comprehensive Vision for the U.S.-South Korea Alliance

The scope of common interests represented by the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has expanded as a result of increasing South Korean capabilities to contribute to security and prosperity on and beyond the Korean peninsula. The U.S.-South Korea alliance can evolve into a fuller partnership that includes new areas of policy coordination and in which needs and responsibilities are shared more equitably. Given that the ROK is the world's seventh-largest economy and the chair of the G-20 during 2010, the Obama administration has a unique opportunity to enhance bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation with South Korea. The United States should support the realization of a "global Korea" vision through active cooperation to promote security and financial stability. To gain broad support for comprehensive alliance cooperation, the United States and South Korea must confirm the scope of their common interests and capacity to work together in the service of those interests, develop public support for closer cooperation, gain understanding from Korea's neighbors, and meet the challenge of securing the financial resources necessary to support such cooperation.

Scott Snyder is director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and senior associate of Washington programs in the International Relations Program of the Asia Foundation. He is also senior associate at Pacific Forum CSIS.