ABSTRACT
The United States has long viewed South Korean political stability as crucial to economic development, maintaining the security balance on the peninsula, and preserving peace in Northeast Asia. US representatives focus on the opening of the Korean markets and the opening of the Korean business system to reduce restrictive regulation and promote a transparent and supportive business and regulatory environment. US-South Korean security ties have long been determined by the two countries’ judgments of their respective security needs, which are based principally on the prevailing military balance on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia. The large and prominent US military presence in South Korea has been a source of criticism on the part of some South Koreans. The United States welcomes the politically more democratic and fluid situation in South Korea even though it poses several important considerations for US policymakers.
