The Effect of Korean Domestic Politics on the Negotiations Surrounding the Withdrawal of US Troops from the Korean Peninsula in 1970-71

Abstract

The withdrawal of 20,000 US troops from the Republic of Korea (ROK) in 1970-71 was a significant event in US-ROK relations. This policy decision was a catalyst in other important events, including Park Chung Hees decision to implement the Yusin Constitution. Previous literature has focused on how unilateral decision-making by the US government made it difficult for the ROK to mount substantial resistance. This paper, using a framework based on the two-level game theory, argues that Korean domestic politics were also a critical factor in Park Chung Hees acquiescence to a policy in 1970-71 that, in his perspective, was dangerous for ROK security. More broadly, this analysis calls for more consideration of the impact of Korean domestic politics in studying Cold War ROK-US relations.