Modernizing the ROK–U.S. Alliance

For more than seven decades, the Republic of Korea–United States alliance has been one of the world’s most enduring security partnerships. Born from the devastation of the Korean War, it evolved through the Cold War and the unipolar era to become a pillar of regional stability. However, the world the alliance faces today bears little resemblance to the one it was built to serve. North Korea is now a de facto nuclear power with a rapidly expanding missile arsenal. China has transformed into a global maritime and technological competitor. Russia’s war in Ukraine — and its growing military cooperation with Pyongyang — have added new volatility to the regional landscape. These shifts have eroded the assumptions that long underpinned the alliance.