75 years after war outbreak, S. Korea-US alliance looks headed for major shift

WASHINGTON — As South Korea and the United States mark the 75th anniversary of the Korean War's outbreak this month, their alliance appears headed for a crucial shift, with the Donald Trump administration seeking to "modernize" it amid a hardening Sino-U.S. rivalry. Born in the crucible of the 1950-53 conflict, the alliance has undergone adjustments in tune with America's policy changes, shifting regional and global security landscapes, South Korea's growing military capabilities and its pursuit of an enhanced role in what has been an asymmetric partnership. Analysts anticipated that the Trump administration might seek to reconfigure the alliance to ensure that its purpose, operational scope and posture are well aligned with the U.S.' geostrategic priority to counter the "pacing" threat from an increasingly assertive China. Uncertainty still hangs over the future trajectory of the treaty alliance, but a Pentagon official has made it clear that Washington prioritizes deterring China and looks to work with South Korea to ensure that the bilateral partnership is "strategically sustainablWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times