More than one million North Korean troops serve on active duty, the vast majority deployed within hours of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. North Korea continues military infiltration efforts into South Korea and has threatened to walk away from the Agreed Framework it signed with the United States in 1994 that curtails its nuclear production program. In addition, North Korea is believed to possess substantial chemical and biological weapons capability. South Korea's security concerns focus primarily on bolstering defenses against its dangerous northern neighbor. In 1998, the Republic of Korea devoted 3.2 percent of its gross domestic product to defense.
Economic constraints limit South Korea's ability to make large contributions to foreign assistance.
Under the Agreed Framework, North Korea ended the operations of its existing nuclear reactors, which were capable of producing nuclear materials for the construction of weapons, with the agreement that these would be replaced by safer reactors that would help meet its electrical energy needs. Nonetheless, their contributions to maintaining an American forward-deployed military presence are critical to the U.S. ability to defend the shared interests of its allies. The American vision for the Asia-Pacific region is based on the principles of shared strength, shared prosperity, and shared commitment to democratic values. Host nation support enables the United States to build upon its partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. The United States is committed to the security of the Asia-Pacific region, and host nation support by our allies helps underwrite that commitment.