Trump or Harris, US and S Korea must stick together

This article was originally published by Pacific Forum. It is republished with permission.

With the US presidential election just around the corner, in South Korea there are concerns about the potential return to the White House of former President Donald Trump.

Trump previously mentioned the withdrawal of US forces from Korea, but he was not the only one: There have been previous historical cases in which the ROK-US alliance faced drastic changes depending on who might become US president.

After the end of the Vietnam War, President Nixon reduced US forces in Korea to just above 40,000. President George W Bush revisited this issue during the Iraq War.

But let’s look externally. North Korea continues to advance its nuclear missile capabilities and has amended its constitution, declaring a shift in its policy regarding South Korea.

China launched an ICBM for the first time in 40 years and exchanged sharp warnings with Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan. Russia, after dragging out the war in Ukraine for over two and a half years, is threatening nuclear weapons use and has restored its close Cold War ties with North Korea.

Not only South Korea but also the US face a critical period for the alliance. In this environment, neither country can defend its security alone. Washington and its allies have shared situational awareness through the announcement of the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” and are building a robust defense network with the United States’ “Integrated Deterrence” concept.

While conflicts and politics within the alliance are inevitable, they must be conducted with a purpose aligned with the alliance’s goals.

I believe the US government fully understands the difficulties the alliance is facing. However, shared threat