Implications of the People's Liberation Army's Modernization for the Republic of Korea's Security Policy

摘要

South Korean security has been threatened by North Korea since the Korean War. The collapse of the Soviet Union has required Northeast Asian regional security to be reconfigured. North Korea remains as South Korea's primary threat. China is emerging rapidly and creating several issues directly and indirectly that are related to South Korea. Especially, China's PLA modernization has been remarkable in its capability and ambition. Therefore, threats imposed by China to South Korea may seem significant. Directly, dispute in Socotra Rock and the Northeast Project impose threats to South Korea. The Taiwan issue and the South China Sea dispute indirectly affect South Korean security due to the involvement of the United States forces in the Northeast Asian region. This thesis will reveal that China's PLA modernization coerces South Korea to confront dilemmas in its security policy. In other words, such modernization is a threat to South Korean security.