Korea-U.S. Alliance 'Could End Within 10 Years'

The Korea-U.S. alliance could collapse within 10 years, the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies warns in a report. In the report titled "Congressional Attitudes on the Future of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance," CSIS quotes an aide to a Democratic lawmaker as saying, "The alliance could end. For example, if in 10 years the South Korean government still had the same view and policy toward North Korea, continuing to increase its aid to North Korea -- in other words, 'sunshine on steroids' -- this could fray the relationship beyond repair."

According to the report, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are skeptical about Seoul's engagement with toward North Korea. Most respondents "believed that South Korea's policies toward North Korea were too generous, naive, and/or dangerous," it said. But Democratic respondents "were generally more favorably disposed to an engagement-oriented approach to North Korea -- but not an approach as forward-leaning as President Roh Moo-hyun has advocated."

It notes that Seoul "made troop contribution to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but members of Congress and their staff have paid little attention." The CSIS drew up the report based on interviews of U.S. legislators and their aides with support from the Korea Foundation over one year. The think tank will hold a seminar on the report in Washington on Thursday.