American forces in South Korea

Abstract

In meetings in Honolulu on 23-24 July, senior American and South Korean defence officials sought to thrash out their continued differences over major changes in US military deployments on the Korean peninsula. These changes portend the most important shifts in US defence strategy in Northeast Asia since president Richard Nixon's promulgation of the Guam doctrine in the summer of 1969. The as yet unresolved issues between Washington and Seoul reflect major disagreements over the pace, modalities and costs associated with the realignment of US forces.