ABSTRACT
The Korean Peninsula is one of the most militarized regions in the world. South and North Korea have continuously increased their military strength. This chapter aims to produce an objective assessment of the military balance on the Korean Peninsula. The assessment of North Korean superiority, asserted by both the South Korean and US governments, essentially uses the “bean count” approach. In 1985, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense James Kelly told Congress: Despite devoting almost six percent of its GNP to defense, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has been unable to match the massive North Korean military buildup which began in 1970. The North Korean military poses a greater threat to the ROK than at any other time since the Korean war. The assessment of South Korean superiority is asserted primarily by official North Korean sources and certain scholars on Korean affairs. It is based almost entirely on qualitative analysis.
