Trump and the changing price of alliance
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to substantially reduce the U.S.-ROK combined military exercise should concern South Koreans, but not simply because one exercise will be smaller. Exercises can be adjusted for diplomatic or operational reasons. The more important issue is what the decision tells us about changing American expectations toward its allies and whether South Korea understands…
President Donald Trump's decision to significantly reduce the U.S.-ROK combined military exercises has raised concerns among South Koreans, but the true significance lies in the message it sends about shifting American expectations towards its allies and whether South Korea understands this change.
Trump's dissatisfaction with South Korea is not unfounded. The United States has increasingly come to expect allies to play a more active role in addressing challenges to international security. Trump's frustration over Seoul's reluctance to participate in U.S. efforts related to Iran is a manifestation of his broader belief that alliances cannot be one-sided arrangements where America is solely responsible for responding to threats faced by its allies while those allies remain unengaged in the challenges confronting the United States.
However, South Korea is not without its own pressing security concerns. The country is faced with the threat of a nuclear-armed North Korea, which possesses increasingly sophisticated missiles and is increasingly cooperating with Russia. Additionally, South Korea is grappling with the presence of a large contingent of U.S. troops on its soil.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Trump and the changing price of alliance koreatimes.co.kr
