[KS] Re: Still Invaded Economically and Culturally

[Rüdiger Frank]

At 16:08 27.07.00 -0700, you wrote:
>Facts #3 and #4 (see below) seem more opinion than fact.  The U.S.
>dominates the region's politics more than Japan, China, or Russia.  It is
>the strongest military power and has had the most direct influence over
>past South Korean political developments.  It is far from some distant,
>neutral party.  Therefore, it is not an obvious fact to me that a unified
>Korea would want to maintain any close formal alliance with the U.S. (as
>opposed to peaceful relations) much less encourage or desire a continuing
>U.S. military presence.

...and the neighbors would hardly accept a continued US military presence
in a unified Korea. Especially the PRC would be challenged, a risk that for
my own life's sake I hope nobody will take. On the other hand, when the
Americans retreat, Japan would have to rearm since in that case it looses
its forward-defense by the US troops on the Korean PI. Imagine what the
rest of Asia will think about this and how it will affect the image of
Japanes products... After all, at least under the present conditions (which
might change) there must be kind of a stabilizing factor in the peninsula.
On the other hand, the USA will not be acceptable to many, and I doubt that
Korea would like to have a continued foreign troop presence after
unification at all. I don't see any solution, and so my conclusion is that
there is no unification in sight. If there is no question, no answer is
needed. We have a nice little balance in North East Asia, everybody is
quite comfortable with it, except the Koreans (?), so none of the regional
powers will be stupid enough to let any destabilizing and risky change
happen. I don't say I like it, but this is like the whole matter looks to me.

Best,

Rudiger Frank

See also 
Rudiger Frank:  Regional Interests in North East Asia and Prospects for
Korea's Independent Unification, 
in: http://www.cap.uni-muenchen.de/transatlantic/papers/korea.html




***********************
Ruediger FRANK
Humboldt-University Berlin
Korea Institute
Fon: +49-30-55 99 878
Fax: +49-30-2093-6666
e-mail: ruediger.frank at rz.hu-berlin.de
Web: http://www2.hu-berlin.de/korea
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