미일 양국은 지난 2005년 2월 <미일 양국의 공통전략목표에 관한 공동발표문>을 발표한데 이어 동년 10월에는 <미일동맹:미래를 위한 변혁과 재편>을, 그리고 2006년 5월에는 <재편실시를 위한 미일 로드맵>을 공동으로 발표하여, 21세기형 미일동맹 재편에 관한 합의를 이루었다. 본 논문은 미일동맹 재편의 배경, 협상경과, 이같은 과정을 거쳐 변모된 미일동맹의 변화양상을 검토하고자 하였다. 일반적으로 미일동맹 재편은 9.11 이후 미국의 GPR 추진이나 고이즈미 정권의 안보정책 적극화에 의해 추동된 것으로 이해된다. 그러나 배경을 검토해 보면 실은 90년대 중반 이후 미일 양국 내부에서 제기된 동맹재편 요구들, 예컨대 2000년의 아미티지 보고서나 2001년 국방부회 보고서 등 양측 정책결정그룹의 동맹강화론이 중요한 배경이 되었음을 확인하였다. 또한 2003년 이후 양국의 협상과정을 검토해 보면 일본의 적극적인 안보역할 확대를 기대하는 미국측의 요구에 대해, 평화헌법 및 전수방위 체제를 고려하는 일본측의 입장이 길항관계를 보이며 결국 양측의 입장이 조정되는 과정을 거쳐 협상이 진행되었음을 강조하였다. 이같은 토대 위에 재편된 미일동맹은 동맹의 정체성, 군사협력체제, 안보협력의 제도화 등 세가지 측면에서 전례없이 강화되는 경향을 보이고 있다. 미일동맹 재편이 무기수출 3원칙 완화나 자위대 활동영역 확대라는 파급효과를 보이며, 일본의 방위체제 변화를 촉진하는 결과를 낳고 있음도 유의해야 할 것이다.

The United States and Japan had issued joint statements regarding the transformation of the U.S.-Japan alliance discussed over the last two years. This paper has its aim to analyze background, process of bilateral negotiations, aspects of the alliance transformation, and finally its impact on the change in Japanese defense policy. The necessity of the U.S.-Japan alliance transformation was raised by the decision-makers of both countries in the early 21th century. For the U.S. part, so-called Armitage Report group invoked the importance of Japan in terms of strategy and urged the necessity of renewing the alliance relationships with Japan. Coincidently, the opinion leaders of Japan also raised the same issue based on the evaluation of the rapidly changing security environment of the East Asia in the Post-Cold war era. Through a zig-zaged bilateral negotiations, the United States and Japan reached an agreement on the common strategic objectives in the North-East Asian region; relocating American military bases located in Japan, and strengthening interoperability of the military troops between two countries. In addition, both countries succeeded in erecting the new operational plan concerning the Korean peninsula and widening the military cooperations including the PSI and PKO activities. During the process of consolidating the U.S.-Japan military alliance, some changes in Japanese defense policy would be inevitable. For example, principles of arms export should be changed in accordance with the co-development of MD systems. Widening overseas military cooperations hammered out new legal measures which will enable the SDF to exercise more overseas activities. To sum it up, Japanese defense system is changing in line with the consolidation of the U.S.-Japan military alliance.

The United States and Japan had issued joint statements regarding the transformation of the U.S.-Japan alliance discussed over the last two years. This paper has its aim to analyze background, process of bilateral negotiations, aspects of the alliance transformation, and finally its impact on the change in Japanese defense policy. The necessity of the U.S.-Japan alliance transformation was raised by the decision-makers of both countries in the early 21th century. For the U.S. part, so-called Armitage Report group invoked the importance of Japan in terms of strategy and urged the necessity of renewing the alliance relationships with Japan. Coincidently, the opinion leaders of Japan also raised the same issue based on the evaluation of the rapidly changing security environment of the East Asia in the Post-Cold war era. Through a zig-zaged bilateral negotiations, the United States and Japan reached an agreement on the common strategic objectives in the North-East Asian region; relocating American military bases located in Japan, and strengthening interoperability of the military troops between two countries. In addition, both countries succeeded in erecting the new operational plan concerning the Korean peninsula and widening the military cooperations including the PSI and PKO activities. During the process of consolidating the U.S.-Japan military alliance, some changes in Japanese defense policy would be inevitable. For example, principles of arms export should be changed in accordance with the co-development of MD systems. Widening overseas military cooperations hammered out new legal measures which will enable the SDF to exercise more overseas activities. To sum it up, Japanese defense system is changing in line with the consolidation of the U.S.-Japan military alliance.

U.S.-Japan alliance, Japanese defense system, consolidation of military alliance, military cooperation