Strategic Implications of Belt and Road Initiative for the U.S.-ROK ALLIED RELATIONSHIP

Purpose: The ROK’s diplomatic maneuverability since the normalization of its relationship with the PRC in 1992 has received much undeserved skepticism from both Beijing and Washington. While Beijing acquiescently acknowledges the necessity of Seoul to maintain an alliance with Washington, it has become critical of it since the ROK’s decision to deploy THAAD in 2016. The paper aims at a better understanding of US intent and pur-poses of engaging with China over the years. To this end, it attempts to reveal the underlying intent of China’s Belt and Road Initiative by introducing its military nature and characters. Method: This paper is basically researched using the traditional literature(English and Chinese) search me-thod. In this paper, quantitative research methodology was not applied due to the distrust of the survey results in China. The interaction of China s Belt and Road Initiative for the U.S.-ROK allied relationship was conducted through a traditional literature search method. In the future, this research topic is expected to be studied in a scientific analysis research method with proven objectivity. Results: To overcome the dilemma that it conceives itself to be in the ROK must consider the following. First of all, the ROK must consider some of the following PRC will not change as long as the CCP remains in power and the Party upholds communism. Secondly, the ROK must expand its concept of the alliance to something beyond military cooperation. Opportunities for cooperation in areas other than security are bountiful. It must now overcome the restrictions it has put on itself and think globally with its ally since it can now afford to do so. Conclusion: It concludes that the best viable way to defend ROK’s national interest is by protecting its values and ideology that it has upheld for the time being. ROK’s the dilemma between the U.S. and PRC will transpire into something unprecedented. It can be assured by the way the fourth industry is transforming that it will no longer be an economic market and security dependence. The strongest recommendation at this particular junc-ture is to check whether we are willing to defend our values and ideology.