ABSTRACT
We live in a dynamic world in which the pace of change is rapid and probably accelerating. This comes to mind with particular force when one contemplates the future of Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. security relations. This chapter attempts to analyze how these trends will affect ROK-U.S. security relations in the 1990s. By looking closely at connections between national security and economic factors, it attempts to develop new approaches to relationships among political, economic, and social factors affecting Korean security as external environments evolve. Korea’s national security has both influenced and been considerably influenced by a complex interweaving of social, political, and economic factors. The Korean economy is based upon free enterprise. This was necessary to meet Korea’s economic goals because governments were unable to bring about the kind of export performance that Korea needs and has, in fact, achieved.
