Arms Control on the Korean Peninsula: How Is the European Experience Applicable?

Abstract

The Summit meeting in Paris on November 19-22, 1990, of the heads of the governments participating in the Conference on Security and Coopera:ion in Europe was a landmark event of world significance in arms control. The meeting had three main achievements: (1) signature of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (or CFE Treaty), which reduced the major conventional arms of the Warsaw Treaty and NATO alliance to a lower equal level; (2) agreement on a number of important confidence-building measures, which increased the openness to outside observation of military establishments, military activities and defense budgets; and (3) the establishment of permanent CSCE institutions designed for conflict prevention. Taken together these actions, along with the European Community and a continuing NATO alliance, will provide the enduring framework of a new European security system. The main components of this new European system that appear to be applicable for the Korean peninsula are: I. From the CFE Treaty: (1) The concept of reducing forces to a lower equal level; (2) Focus on reduction of armaments essential for the offensive; (3) Restrictions on force concentrations; (4) Stringent verification. II. Confidence- and Security-Building Measures: (1 ) New expanded measures for preannouncement of military activities and their observation; (2) Annual exchange of data on the armed force of all participants plus evaluation visits (on-site inspections); (3) Exchange of defense budgets, with provision for questions and for annual discussion; (4) The measure for clarifying unusual military activities. Ill. CSCE Institutions: (1) Yearly meeting of foreign ministers; (2) Meetings of senior officials to prepare foreign ministers meetings and implement their decisions; (3) Permanent secretarial; (4) Common communications system; (5) Center for the Prevention of Conflict. The paper also explains why, in confrontational situations, the combination of national armed forces plus an arms control regime, rather than exclusive reliance either on national armed forces or on arms control, is the cheapest and most secure choice that governments can make.