The Importance and Impact of the Strategic Partnership between the US and South Korea

Thursday, November 21, 2024 from 11:30 am – 2 pm

Jenny Town, Kevin L. Miller and Iliana Ragnone

This panel is cohosted by the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum, the Santa Fe Community College and the Stimson Center. It is sponsored by the Korea Foundation

US national security in the Asia-Pacific hinges on its bilateral alliances with Pacific Rim countries. South Korea is and has been a crucial part of this relationship since the end of World War II. Today, the US-South Korea alliance remains a cornerstone to peace and stability throughout the Pacific. It may well become even more so globally. We have more troops stationed in South Korea than in any other Asian country including neighboring Japan. Many US veterans have served in South Korea and US active duty military continue to head that way. This relationship has kept North Korea, China and Russia at bay. Over the years, South Korea has prospered economically as it moved from dictatorship to democracy. The US – nationally and locally – has quietly benefited from those changes.

Now, as geopolitical winds shift, the Korean Peninsula is again in the international spotlight – most recently with North Korea’s recent decision to supply weapons and troops to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How will this impact South Korea’s role geopolitically and how will leadership decisions in both the US and South Korea affect US national security strategy in addressing this and other significant global issues.

The Panelists:

Jenny Town is a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and the Director of Stimson’s Korea Program and 38 North. Her areas of expertise include North Korea, US-DPRK relations, US-ROK alliance relations and extended deterrence, and Northeast Asia regional security.

Kevin L. Miller is Georgia Chapter President and Membership Coordinator of the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA). He served in the United States Army for six years, and for the past 25 years has served in middle and senior management roles within the defense industry and international sales markets.

Iliana Ragnone (moderator) is a Research Associate for the Korea Program and Producer of 38 North at the Stimson Center. She contributes to 38 North’s satellite imagery portfolio and focuses on security issues.