The Trump administration is pushing to reshape the US–Korea alliance. It demands that South Korea stop ‘free-riding’ and shoulder more of the burden in economic and security matters. It also wants to shift the role of the US forces in Korea toward confronting China, and expects South Korea to assist the US in the event of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. At the upcoming US–South Korea summit, Trump is likely to present such a bill to the Lee Jae-myung administration.

What impact will this shift in the alliance have? We will discuss how those who hope for genuine peace should understand and respond to these changes.