The United States believes that the question of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is, first and foremost, a matter for the Korean people to decide.

In the 1954 U.S.-R.O.K. Mutual Defense Treaty, the United States agreed to help the Republic of Korea defend itself against external aggression. In support of this commitment, the United States currently maintains approximately 37,000 service personnel in Korea, including the Army's Second Infantry Division and several Air Force tactical squadrons. To coordinate operations between these units and the 650,000-strong Korean armed forces, a Combined Forces Command (CFC) was established in 1978. The head of the CFC also serves as Commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) and the U.S. Forces in Korea (USFK).

Several aspects of the security relationship are changing as the U.S. moves from a leading to a supporting role. South Korea has agreed to pay a larger portion of USFK's stationing costs and to promote changes in the CFC command structure. On December 1, 1994, peacetime operational control authority over all South Korean military units still under U.S. operational control was transferred to the South Korean Armed Forces. Discussions are under way concerning the return of the Yongsan base in the heart of Seoul--as well as a number of other U.S. bases--to the R.O.K. and the relocation all U.S. forces south of the Han River by 2007.

As Korea's economy has developed, trade has become an increasingly important aspect of the U.S.-Korea relationship. The U.S. seeks to improve access to Korea's expanding market and increase investment opportunities for American business. The implementation of structural reforms contained in the IMF's 1998 program for Korea improved access to the Korean market, although a range of serious sectoral and structural barriers still remain. Korean leaders appear determined to successfully manage the complex economic relationship with the United States and to take a more active role in international economic fora as befits Korea's status as a major trading nation.

The U.S. Embassy in South Korea is located at 32 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-Ku, Seoul 110-710; Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 (tel.: 82-2-397-4114; fax: 82-2-738-8845). The U.S. Agricultural Trade Office is located at 146-1, Susong-dong, Chongro-Ku, Leema Bldg., Rm. 303, Seoul 110-140 (fax: 82-2-720-7921). The U.S. Export Development Office/U.S. Trade Center is c/o U.S. Embassy (fax: 82-2-739-1628). Its director is Camille Sailer.

Additional Resources. The following general country guides are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402:

Library of Congress. North Korea: A Country Study. 1994.
Department of State. The Record on Korean Unification 1943-1960. 1961.
Department of the Army. Communist North Korea: A Bibliographic Survey. 1971.

Internet Resources on North and South Korea. The following sites are provided to give an indication of Internet sites on Korea. The Department of State does not endorse unofficial publications, including Internet sites.

--R.O.K. Embassy--http://www.koreaembassyusa.org/
--Korea Society--http://www.koreasociety.org/; links to academic and other sites.
--Nautilus Institute--http://www.nautilus.org/; produced by the Nautilus Institute in Berkeley, California, and includes press roundup Monday through Friday.
--Korea Web Weekly--http://www.kimsoft.com/korea.htm; links to North Korean sites.
--Korea Herald--http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/; South Korean English-language newspaper.
--Korea Times--http://times.hankooki.com/; South Korean English-language newspaper.
--(North) Korean Central News Agency--http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm
--Korean Politics--http://www.koreanpolitics.com/; provides information on South Korean politics and links to South Korean Government sites.