| Summary/Abstract |
This article provides a detailed review of Jimmy Carter’s policy toward South Korea and the reaction from South Korea in the late 1970s based on recently declassified South Korean and American archival documents, newspapers, an interview with a former South Korean official, and the biography of South Korean president Park Chunghee. Jimmy Carter had a difficult time realizing his pledge to withdraw American ground troops from South Korea because of opposition from the U.S. Congress and insubordination among U.S. Army officials. Otherwise, Seoul did not disagree with the U.S. president in an ostensible manner. However, newly found evidence indicates that the South Korean leadership encouraged the split between the U.S. executive and legislature, the U.S. Army’s resistance toward its president, and criticism from Japan, another important diplomatic partner of Washington. This article highlights how various groups opposing American troop withdrawals undermined the president’s rationale for removing forces from South Korea.
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