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| Written By: Marquon Banks Program Intern, World Affairs Council of Atlanta Student, Georgia State University Published: 4/4/2017 |
At the age of two, my mother
was in the United States Army and received orders to stationed in Seoul,
South Korea in 1997. As a child, I wasn’t aware of what kind of cross-border
issues were occurring at this time. I
was curious, so I decided to do some research on the historical context of the
time, and South Korea’s relationship with the United States. What I found
during this period was that the United States and Republic of Korea had a
positive relationship ever since the Mutual Defense Treaty in 1953 after the
Korean War. They had a long, continuous history of cooperation and friendship
based on shared interests and values. Although my mother was stationed there
for the US Army, the United States also maintained personnel in the Navy, Air
Force, and Marine Corps in South Korea in support of the Mutual Defense Treaty
to help against any external aggression. To strengthen the treaty, in 1978, the
creation of the Combined Forces Command was created which is made up of United
States units and Republic of Korea armed forces that parallel operations to
provide coordinated defense for the alliance.
After living in Seoul for two years,
I’m now four years of age and my mother received orders to be stationed back in
the United States. I was also curious about the U.S.-Korea relationship after
the 1990s. It’s safe to say that the friendship remains strong, with cooperative
deals and comprehensive global partnerships being established from the 90s to
present day. In 2012, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was enacted. In 2013,
the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of their alliance. Also,
trade and investment agreements had become a critical aspect of the two
countries relationship with one another. In 2015, the two-way trade amounted to
over $113 billion in goods and over $33 billion in services which boosted
economic growth with both countries.
The only memory I have of living in South Korea was watching the Might Morphing Power Rangers: The Movie at the daycare on base. I don’t have any memorable experiences there, but I hope to one day get the chance to visit Seoul again with my mother so she can take me sightseeing and to the places she’s been. She told me that Seoul was one of her favorite duty stations to live because there was always something to do and she had a great time there. I’m pretty sure that she has plenty of stories to tell me if we do go back and visit, especially if it involves me acting silly in Seoul.
After living in Seoul for two years,
I’m now four years of age and my mother received orders to be stationed back in
the United States. I was also curious about the U.S.-Korea relationship after
the 1990s. It’s safe to say that the friendship remains strong, with cooperative
deals and comprehensive global partnerships being established from the 90s to
present day. In 2012, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was enacted. In 2013,
the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of their alliance. Also,
trade and investment agreements had become a critical aspect of the two
countries relationship with one another. In 2015, the two-way trade amounted to
over $113 billion in goods and over $33 billion in services which boosted
economic growth with both countries.The only memory I have of living in South Korea was watching the Might Morphing Power Rangers: The Movie at the daycare on base. I don’t have any memorable experiences there, but I hope to one day get the chance to visit Seoul again with my mother so she can take me sightseeing and to the places she’s been. She told me that Seoul was one of her favorite duty stations to live because there was always something to do and she had a great time there. I’m pretty sure that she has plenty of stories to tell me if we do go back and visit, especially if it involves me acting silly in Seoul.
