By Bernard Rowan
Before the next South Korean presidential election, I have framed a series of suggestions for Korea-U.S. policy relations. While the world remains transfixed by COVID-19, with rising attention to the tomfoolery of Putin, friends of Korea would do well to keep their eyes focused. Whether it receives enough recognition, the Korea-U.S. alliance forms the center for security in Northeast Asia. Its next cycle of opportunities will arise with electing a new South Korean president.
Our two countries should solidify and extend positive security relations and arrangements among South Korea, Japan and the United States for the Northeast Asian region and beyond. These three partners need to develop their productive relations further. Given Korea's history of colonial occupation and aggravating events such as the comfort women issue, it will be important to cultivate political capital carefully among the partners.
Second, our two countries should solidify and extend positive security relations and arrangements. South Korea, the United States and the ASEAN nations must coordinate in the present context. The alliance must work to include the Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian nations even more. The Indo-Pacific region has several hotspots, such as the South China Sea straits, that should form bases for cooperation among democratic nations instead of yielding the initiative to China as sites of competition and militarization.
Third, it will help in the first two objectives if South Korea and America connect and intensify bilateral and multilateral trade relations. We must work to connect the United States, Korea and a widening circle of partners in an Indo-Pacific trade bloc. The Biden administration has shown its openness to doing so. It will be important to strengthen these ties further, given Chinese power projection, concerns about security in Europe and elsewhere and related trade matters.
Fourth, our countries should develop a new partnership for creating sustainable and eco-friendly 22nd-century energy technologies and sources. If oil's eclipse is 50 to 100 years away, Korea and the United States should work together to create sustainable sources of energy and technology for the 22nd century and beyond. Seawater is plentiful, but is currently getting inadequate attention for creating energy.
Fifth, the Roh and Moon administrations had great hopes, but they have failed to bring about any real change in the North's posture and pursuits. While it's too late to prevent the North's development of nuclear weapons, it's not too late to induce the Soviet path. This more patient strategy will take time and investments in conventional and nuclear deterrence. They should include cooperation to short-circuit, as well as continue international sanctions against nations supplying the North Korean regime.
Sixth, more investment must occur for cybersecurity development and redundant security measures for key infrastructure, networks and institutions. The enemies of democracy again are hard at work to sow division by harming cybersecurity. Korea and America should work together on related technologies and their provision. Our nations must counter threats and strengthen security and communications structures in this century.
Last but not least, let us develop a project to promote the further development of democracy as a technology. Autocratic powers today pour money into unaligned and friendly nations, as well as other antidemocratic powers. Freedom needs further conversions to democracy as a world technology that admits plural forms. The educational, cultural and technical developments and related purposes discussed in this column need and will benefit from the growing practice of democracy throughout the region and the world.
The next decade is the critical time for action. Let's ramp the progress potential for our nations, the region and the world for decades to come. Too little has occurred to date that suggests optimization, but a window of opportunity is beginning to emerge. Here's hoping we make the most of it.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is the associate provost for contract administration and a professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and a former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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Our two countries should solidify and extend positive security relations and arrangements among South Korea, Japan and the United States for the Northeast Asian region and beyond. These three partners need to develop their productive relations further. Given Korea's history of colonial occupation and aggravating events such as the comfort women issue, it will be important to cultivate political capital carefully among the partners.
Second, our two countries should solidify and extend positive security relations and arrangements. South Korea, the United States and the ASEAN nations must coordinate in the present context. The alliance must work to include the Philippines, Vietnam and other Asian nations even more. The Indo-Pacific region has several hotspots, such as the South China Sea straits, that should form bases for cooperation among democratic nations instead of yielding the initiative to China as sites of competition and militarization.
Third, it will help in the first two objectives if South Korea and America connect and intensify bilateral and multilateral trade relations. We must work to connect the United States, Korea and a widening circle of partners in an Indo-Pacific trade bloc. The Biden administration has shown its openness to doing so. It will be important to strengthen these ties further, given Chinese power projection, concerns about security in Europe and elsewhere and related trade matters.
Fourth, our countries should develop a new partnership for creating sustainable and eco-friendly 22nd-century energy technologies and sources. If oil's eclipse is 50 to 100 years away, Korea and the United States should work together to create sustainable sources of energy and technology for the 22nd century and beyond. Seawater is plentiful, but is currently getting inadequate attention for creating energy.
Fifth, the Roh and Moon administrations had great hopes, but they have failed to bring about any real change in the North's posture and pursuits. While it's too late to prevent the North's development of nuclear weapons, it's not too late to induce the Soviet path. This more patient strategy will take time and investments in conventional and nuclear deterrence. They should include cooperation to short-circuit, as well as continue international sanctions against nations supplying the North Korean regime.
Sixth, more investment must occur for cybersecurity development and redundant security measures for key infrastructure, networks and institutions. The enemies of democracy again are hard at work to sow division by harming cybersecurity. Korea and America should work together on related technologies and their provision. Our nations must counter threats and strengthen security and communications structures in this century.
Last but not least, let us develop a project to promote the further development of democracy as a technology. Autocratic powers today pour money into unaligned and friendly nations, as well as other antidemocratic powers. Freedom needs further conversions to democracy as a world technology that admits plural forms. The educational, cultural and technical developments and related purposes discussed in this column need and will benefit from the growing practice of democracy throughout the region and the world.
The next decade is the critical time for action. Let's ramp the progress potential for our nations, the region and the world for decades to come. Too little has occurred to date that suggests optimization, but a window of opportunity is beginning to emerge. Here's hoping we make the most of it.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is the associate provost for contract administration and a professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and a former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
