Korean Approaches to Peace Support and Stability Operations

Since the end of the Korean War in 1953 the Republic of Korea (ROK) has undergone substantial economic and political development. Transforming itself from one of the world’s poorest countries and a recipient of large amounts of economic aid to being a member of the G20 and having one of the largest economies in the world in the short space of 60 years, the ROK has advanced into middle-power status and commensurate with this has, since joining the UN in 1991, looked to increase its contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations (UN PKO). At the same time the perpetual state of tension along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the potential for conflict has and to a large extent continues to dominate the country’s security discourse. In this vein an historic reliance on the United States coupled with a need to maintain the US-ROK Alliance has driven the ROK toward participating in Stability operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. As such a mixture of growing international interests, the need to place the ROK on the international map, and self-interested defensive motivations are driving an increasing interest in UN PKO and Stability operations, which has led to the creation of institutions and mechanisms devoted to international PKO commitments and the ability to undertake complex operations abroad.