July 01, 2024

Peril with little promise: The US presidential election and South Korea's dilemma

The US presidential election is being watched with trepidation in South Korea. Should President Joe Biden be re-elected, Seoul would likely see continuity in the relationship and a continued strong US-South Korea bilateral alliance.

But a victory for Donald Trump is fraught with peril. He could throw the alliance into turmoil, try to make South Korea a front-line state in the US standoff with China, threaten overtures to North Korea, and demand South Korea increase defense cost-sharing and defense budget or face the withdrawal of US forces, writes Chung-in Moon.

The situation is worrying for all sides of the political spectrum in Seoul, writes Chung-in Moon.

Read the whole article in Global Asia

Chung-in Moon is James Laney Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University, vice chairman of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN) and editor-in-chief of Global Asia

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