ABSTRACT
AlmostahalfcenturyaftertheendoftheKoreanWar(1950-53),the securitysituationontheKoreanpeninsularemainsunstableandtense astheconfrontationbetweenSouthandNorthKoreapersistswithlittle prospectofreconciliation.Moreover,theKoreanpeninsularemainsone ofthemostheavilyarmedareasintheworlddespitetheendoftheCold War.AstherecentNorthKoreannuclearcrisishassoclearlydemonstrated,Koreacouldeasilybecomeaflashpointininternationalpolitics thatcouldtriggeramajorconflictamongthepowers.AlthoughthecrisistouchedoffbyNorthKorea'sattemptstodevelopnuclearweapons wasdefusedwiththesigningoftheU.S.-NorthKoreanAgreed FrameworkatGenevaonOctober21,1994,suspicionsaboutNorth Korea'sintentionstodevelopweaponsofmassdestructionhavenotdissipated.
