Uncertainty in the U.S.-South Korea economic partnership could hinder security cooperation if left unchecked. The countries should explore collaboration in AI technologies, policy coordination in the Indo-Pacific, & economic cooperation with North Korea.

As U.S.-China tensions intensify and as the North Korean threat grows, the importance of the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea) as a pivot state in East Asia and as a valuable ally for the United States has become clearer than ever.