Key Takeaways:- Establish a Shared Threat Perception: A unified strategic approach to the threats from both North Korea and China is the essential foundation for modernizing the alliance and avoiding internal friction.- Aim for "Alliance Flexibility" over National Autonomy: The goal must be to develop a cohesive, rapid response capability for the entire alliance, not just to increase the strategic autonomy of each in...

Key Takeaways: - Alliance modernization should therefore emphasize practical capability-building – such as advanced weapons systems, intelligence sharing, missile defense, and credible extended deterrence – rather than politically sensitive issues. - If USFK forces are deployed outside the Korean peninsula, questions will arise over operational authority, especially if such scenarios coincide with OPCON...

Key Takeaways:1. Diverging Strategic Priorities: The U.S. and South Korea hold conflicting views on alliance modernization, as Washington seeks a flexible USFK to counter China while Seoul remains focused on deterring North Korea and maintaining current troop levels.2. Recommendations for a Balanced Modernization: Washington should avoid rapid troop reductions or an overt anti-China focus for USFK and Seoul shou...

Key Takeaways:- The U.S.–ROK alliance has been remarkably successful but is now out of step with South Korea’s transformed capabilities- Modernizing the alliance is needed through the transfer of wartime operational control, easing U.S. restrictions on Seoul’s defense development, and a phased reduction of U.S. forces- Such changes would create a more balanced, self-reliant partnership, strengthening both ...

Key Takeaways:- Uncertainty is growing due to simultaneous changes in both order and behavior, leading to alliance restructuring- The two discourses, alliance modernization by the U.S. and future alliance by South Korea, are at play on the ROK-U.S. alliance, and in doing so, these two should be converged rather than unharmonized in an effort to make the alliance remain cohesive- The ROK-U.S. alliance needs to pursue ...