Terrorism's Place in South Korean Grand Strategy

摘要

If one understands North Korea's provocations as terrorism rather than irregular warfare, then terrorism is arguably a chronic national security threat to South Korea. Similarly, the modernization of South Korea has put its citizens, corporations, and soldiers out into the world and raised their exposure to traditional non-state (Islamic, nationalist, and so on) terrorism. Yet South Korea's two national security strategies to date scarcely touch on the issue, while Korea's foremost security journal, the Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, has only published a handful of articles on the topic. Hence, this article seeks to place terrorism more coherently within South Korea's growing grand strategy debate. It argues that Northern provocations fit within post-9/11 thinking about terrorism, and that South Koreans are targets of opportunity in the current salafist terror wave due to their alliance with America, Protestant evangelization overseas, and status as Buddhists, Confucians, or Christians in jihadists' "clash of civilizations" mindset. Terrorism event counts against South Koreans, including fatalities, are quantitatively presented. The totals are low, so the threat, while new, is middling, not existential. South Korea need not overreact as America arguably did to 9/11. Policies such as moderate homeland security measures, distance from expansive U.S. goals in the war on terror, and a wariness of Middle Eastern engagements are recommended.