United States Army forces have been stationed in South Korea since the signing of the armistice in 1953. The intent of the forces was to contain the spread of communism and provide the United States with a security arc to protect her western borders. Since 1953, several changes have occurred with respect to the Southwest Asia Region. United States Army doctrine has changed, with National Strategy, from containment and forward presence to force projection. In addition, though North Korea still poses a formidable threat to regional stability, South Korea maintains an improved military force capable of executing a credible defense along the 38th Parallel. Furthermore, the United States has additional interests in the Pacific Rim generated by the economic prosperity of the entire Pacific Rim. The purpose of this paper is to determine if United States Army forces should remain in South Korea. It is the author's contention that a static defense in South Korea is no longer consistent with Army doctrine. Furthermore, the Army could better support national interests in the region by developing contingencies for deployment from CONUS sites or other Pacific military installations.

ADA 331318 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)