US-ROK alliance reach a turning point

The United States has a plan that would lead to the dismantling of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs in a year, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Sunday despite US intelligence having doubts over Pyongyang's willingness to completely abandon the programs.

Given the agreements reached between US President Donald Trump and the DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un at their historic summit in Singapore on June 12, the two sides should now take concrete steps to make the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula a reality. For this, of course, the US has to give the DPRK security guarantee as it has promised.

Since Trump has reiterated he could reduce, even pull US troops out of the Republic of Korea, the future of the US-ROK military alliance now depends on the peninsula peace process. In fact, with the Trump-Kim summit defusing tensions and eliminating the chances of confrontation on the peninsula, there is no need for the US-ROK military alliance to continue.