The United States and South Korea enjoy many benefits from close security cooperation but the relationship, although not currently endangered, is shifting. Although Korea is assuming more military responsibilities, action is needed to address Korea's desire for a more equal partnership. Even if the United States makes an effort to give Koreans a greater sense of ownership, Korea itself must act like an equal partner if it wants to be treated as one. It should make renewed efforts to reaffirm the value of the alliance and the importance of the U.S. military presence in its country.

Have South Korean attitudes toward the United States deteriorated? To answer this question, RAND researchers compiled and analyzed public opinion data and examined selected periods to identify the sources of anti-US sentiment. They found evidence of a downturn in favorable sentiment toward the US but also of a more recent recovery.

Six institutions in five countries that have key interests in North Korea's future undertook a collaborative effort to determine ways in which the North Korean system could move toward modernization. This book describes this collaborative effort that also produced illustrative plans, a consensus plan, and a tool kit.