Events
Location: Korea Press Foundation, 19th Floor Press room
Organizers: The Asia Foundation, The East-West Center-University of Hawaii, The East Asia Institute
On 5th of November, EAI held an international conference with the Asia Foundation and East-West Center at Hawaii Unversity in Seoul Press Center. Scholars from Korea, Japan and the Philippines made a presentation on the topic of "the U.S. Armed Forces assigned in Asia/Pacific region and the relationship between local government and the civil society in those regions."
The aim of this project is to understand how and why the presence of U.S. forces in the Asia Pacific is affected by domestic political change, and to suggest ways that alliance policy can better address citizen concerns. Four national cases have been selected for in-depth study: Japan (Okinawa), the Republic of Korea (Seoul), the Philippines (Zambales and Mindanao), and New Zealand (Wellington). In contrast to previous studies on U.S. alliances in the Asia Pacific, this project highlights three aspects of the U.S. military presence that have received little analytical attention, but which are crucial to understanding contemporary policy challenges. Locating our study of the U.S. troop presence within domestic societies - "Shifting Terrain" will examine the issue of U.S. troop presence as an issue of national governance. Security policy, like any other realm of public policy, is subject to domestic political activism and interest articulation. We have only a rudimentary understanding of the constellation of interests, and the avenues of interest articulation that affect alliance management in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and New Zealand. We know little about the underlying factors that have caused citizen protest, the interests that were engaged in resolving disputes, and the extent to which government policy prescriptions addressed domestic concerns. There is a critical need for systematic, in-depth analysis of the impact of the U.S. military on citizen interests, of the means and avenues that citizens use to articulate their interests, and of who in fact are the instrumental agents of policy change. A cross-national comparison of the Asia Pacific - A second dimension of "Shifting Terrain" is its comparative approach that will bring to bear the expertise of scholars possessing deep and critical knowledge of national cases. When studied nationally, periods of protest and contention over the U.S. military presence in the region, and in the host country in question, seem to be rooted in the particular circumstances or events of the day. But a cross-national study reveals a broader set of similarities that confront national leaders who must manage their security alliances with the United States and respond to citizen concerns about the U.S. military presence or operations on their soil. Collectively, the research team will identify and analyze the convergent and divergent national experiences in terms of both domestic political forces and of policy responses. All four national cases are democratic societies today, although this was not always the case. There are broader transformations within these societies that bring new interests, new faces, and new positions of advocacy to the fore.
Taking a citizen’s perspective - The third key dimension of "Shifting Terrain" is to bring to light the varied perspectives of the citizens of the region. Opinion polls continue to gauge public opinion in terms of aggregate sentiments of being 'for' or 'against' the alliances, but we have little sense of how the day-to-day presence of foreign troops on Asian soil has affected the body politic in such diverse societies as Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines and New Zealand. The overall appreciation of the impact of the alliance does not always translate into support for the presence of U.S. troops within these countries. The sensitivity of citizens to their own governments' compromised sovereignty regarding the U.S. presence is key to understanding national sentiment. Perhaps the most sensitive issue is the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) that sets forth the terms for managing the U.S. troop presence. It is in the interpretation of the SOFA that much of the domestic contestation over citizen rights and interests arises. Finally, citizen advocacy is no longer confined to local or even national political advocacy. There is some evidence of cross-national learning on the part of citizens and other civil society actors. What are the linkages that allow these groups to learn from each other? To what extent do they contact and mobilize resources together? Conversely, to what extent do governments also learn from each other? What impact do recent U.S. efforts to redesign force deployments in the region, especially in South Korea, have on citizen perceptions?
Proceeding of the seminar
Newly appointed to represent Korea in the Asia Foundation, Edward P. Reed addresses the opening of forum.
Nae-Young Lee chairing the conference
Sheila A. Smith
Katherine Moon from Wellesley College is making a topic presentation on Korea.
Naoki Kamimura from Nagoya University starts a topic presentation on Japan.
Patricio Abinales from Kyoto University begins a topic presentation on the Philippines.
The discussion was directed by Dr. Kim, the president of EAI
