U.S.-South Korea Relations [Security Alliance]

South Korea sent more troops to join the Vietnam War than any other country other than the United States, and since has joined other U.S.-led conflicts in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. South Korea has dispatched 57,000 troops to 30 countries at the request of the United States or the United Nations. A late 2019 poll—in the midst of a contentious standoff in burden-sharing negotiations—indicated that 92% of South Koreans supported the alliance with the United States. Together the allies maintain formidable capabilities. The ROK armed forces today total 599,000 active duty troops. In 2020, South Korea had the...