國家安全戰略中的經濟安全層面關注之面向為掌握經濟資源管道，維持經濟繁榮與永續發展，進而保障經濟體系長期穩定成長與安全運作。韓國自 1990 年代末期啟動 FTA 戰略，作為主要的對外通商核心政策，希望透過積極參與經濟整合，提升國際地位。

本文由韓國構築 FTA 戰略之源起為背景，以韓國政府公報、官員回憶錄、美國國會之公開檔案、智庫之研究報告、國內外學者撰寫之重要期刊論文與專書以及主要媒體報導為參考素材，配合訪談參與韓美 FTA 談判之雙方決策官員，韓國將對美洽簽 FTA 視為維持國家利益與拓展國際市場的經濟外交戰略，探究韓國如何把握 1997 年亞洲金融危機重創後之契機力行經濟改革，以及兼顧全球區域經濟整合浪潮、美韓同盟關係轉變與朝鮮半島的穩定與和平的內外在環境因素下，調整其經貿戰略，布局洽簽韓美 FTA，達成「經濟外交」之國家安全戰略目標。

美、韓兩國自 2006 年展開雙邊自由貿易協定談判，2007 年 6 月 30 日完成簽署，再於 2012 年 3 月 15 日獲雙方國會批准生效，至 2016 年已屆滿 4 週年，除深化雙邊經貿關係外，亦將兩國的同盟關係從軍事安保延伸到經濟合作領域。韓國搶得機先成為世界第一個同時與美國、歐盟及中國大陸三大經濟體都簽署自貿協定的國家，美國亦藉由韓美 FTA 生效，深化其「重返亞洲」戰略，其後續影響效應將不容小覷。

National security strategy on the economic level of concern focuses not only on controlling economic resources to maintain prosperity and sustainable development, but also ensures long-term and stable growth and safety operation in an economic system. South Korea has pushed forward the FTA strategy as its core foreign trade policy since the 1990s in order for participating in economic integration and enhancing its international status.

This paper sets Korea’s FTA Strategy as the background and uses Korean government’s official documents, memoirs of officers, the U.S. CRS Report for Congress, think tank research reports, academic journal articles and news media reports as main research resources. Interviews with former government officials on the negotiation process are also used. Moreover, the paper also discusses South Korea’s experience of reform after the 1997 financial crisis and strategic layouts of the Korea-U.S. FTA in terms of economic integration trend, US-ROK alliance transformation, and peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.

South Korea and the United States completed the KORUS FTA on June 30th, 2006. Since the KORUS FTA entered into force on March 15, 2012, South Korea has become the first country signing FTAs with three major economies (US, EU and China). For four years since 2012, KORUS FTA not only deepened mutual bilateral economic and trade relations, but also expanded the US-ROK alliance from military security to economic cooperation. The U.S. also took advantage of KORUS FTA to strengthen the “Pivotto Asia” policy. Lasting effects of KORUS FTA cannot be underestimated.