국토지리학회지 ISSN:1225-3766(Print) THE GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL OF KOREA

This study delves into the role of Guam's strategic defense buildup as an extension of the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, contextualized within the complexities of regional conflicts and geopolitical dynamics. Motivated by concerns over China's expanding influence in the Asia-Pacific region and the potential for military conflicts stemming from regional disputes, the United States is responding through various measures. These include the establishment of security coalitions with allies, bolstering military capabilities, conducting large-scale joint military exercises, and sailing in international waters. These efforts aim to reinforce U.S. hegemony through the exertion of hard power, with a focus on leveraging Asian allies and military assets stationed in Guam. As Guam's significance as a strategic outpost grows, it becomes increasingly susceptible to military aggression, thereby evolving into a locus of necropolitical dynamics characterized by heightened vulnerability to security risks. The limitations imposed on the citizenship rights of Guam residents stem from the discriminatory treatment inherent in the U.S.'s incomplete incorporation of the territory. Despite being a U.S. territory, Guam finds itself subject to simultaneous applications of biopolitical strategies for population management and necropolitical tactics aimed at maintaining hegemonic control. These parallel dynamics perpetuate Guam's state of dependence on external powers.