On 2 January 2012, the Wall Street Journal ’Korea Now‘ blog carried a short post on key Republican presidential candidates’ views regarding Korea.

It noted that there was a degree of disinterest in Korean affairs in the lead-up to the 2008 and suggests that it is again unlikely to be a major issue unless tension once increases substantially.

The most important point raised was the potential for significant change that could occur in the US military commitment to Korea. The commitment of US forces to Korea has long been a point of contention in libertarian, limited government and non-interventionist circles. In light of the current economic situation, aspects of these views now also exert a degree of influence on mainstream Republican thinking.

The arguments behind these views can be ascertained from the following:

Doug Bandow, “The U.S.-South Korea Alliance: Outdated, Unnecessary, and Dangerous”, Foreign Policy Briefing No.90, Cato Institute, 14 July 2010

Doug Bandow, “Free Rider: South Korea’s Dual Dependence on America”, Policy Analysis No.308, Cato Institute, 19 May 1998

Libertarian Party, “Issues: Foreign Policy”, Libertarian Party Homepage, Website at http://www.lp.org/issues/foreign-policy, accessed 6 January 2012

Ron Paul, “Let’s Stop Bribing and Threatening North Korea”, Ron Paul’s Video Updates, Website at http://www.ronpaul.com/2009-05-31/ron-paul-lets-stop-bribing-and-threatening-north-korea, accessed 6 January 2012