ABSTRACT
The US authors, probably reflecting official thinking in Washington, argue that the Republic of Korea (ROK) is strong enough-both militarily and economically—to look beyond the North Korean threat and participate more purposefully in the security management of the broader Northeast Asian region. This could imply new directions in ROK force structure development, closer security cooperation with Japan, and possibly financial support to democracies along the sea-lanes of communication into the region. Some of the Korean contributors, doubtless reflecting the official ROK position with some urgency, argue that the DPRK military edge is too great to justify complacency about deterrence, let alone effective defense against a North Korean attack. The Korean contributors present a good case that the ROK performance on burden-sharing is better than that of any other US ally. The Republic provides over 90 percent of the in-country military manpower and contributes an estimated $45, 000 per US soldier in cash or kind to the US presence.
