Deterrence and Dialogue: The US–South Korea Alliance in Search of a New Lease of Life in the Face of Kim Jong-Un’s “Nuclear Diplomacy”

Abstract

This chapter addresses the US strategic posture in Northeast Asia, the implications of the North Korean nuclear and missile programs and the challenges of extended deterrence commitments for the US–South Korea security relations. It draws on a comparative approach between the US–NATO and US–South Korea Alliances, analyzing the diplomatic, operational, and tactical dimensions of deterrence in both cases. It also examines the difficulties of a “strategic trilateralism” linking the USA, South Korea, and Japan mainly due to the persistence of historical issues.