South Korea has witnessed astonishing change and transformation since its inception as the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1948, achieving remarkable economic, political, and social developments. Yet curiously, its security strategy has remained conspicuously consistent for the last 60 years, focused primarily on maintaining a robust deterrence and defense posture in order to sustain the status quo and prevent recurrence of conflict on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s national security has relied on three mutually reinforcing pillars which have defined the ROK’s force structure and the operational conduct of its armed forces: defensive deterrence; an alliance with the United States; and forward active defense.1