ABSTRACT
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has undergone a domestic political transition from authoritarianism to democracy. There has been a significant shift in the relations of regional powers toward the Korean Peninsula in recent years, but the confrontation between the ROK and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has remained the primary challenge to the security of the ROK and the stability of Northeast Asia since 1950. The U.S.–ROK security alliance is the cornerstone for deterrence against any possible attack from the North.
