The Adjustment And Influence Of The US-South Korea Alliance During The Trump-Moon Jae-in Administration

The US-ROK alliance was established after the Korean War in order to confront North Korea backed by the Soviet Union and China.Within the alliance,the United States and South Korea are in an unequal position.The former is the dominant and the latter is the obedient.In the nearly 70 years of alliance,this basic operation mode has been maintained.However,with the changes in the international and domestic situations,South Korea's economy has entered the fast track of development,and the process of domestic democratization has accelerated.South Korea has started to seek to improve its position within the alliance and expect more independence.As a result,the relationship between the US-ROK alliance has undergone some subtle changes,and frictions and differences between the two sides have gradually emerged.Especially in 2017,after Trump and Moon Jae-in successively assumed the presidency of the country,the US-South Korea alliance also entered a new round of adjustment.For a long time,the United States' management of allies mainly includes two channels of military support and economic assistance,with the former as the focus.In order to respond to South Korea's requirements for autonomous status,the United States has added new content to the management of the alliance,namely adjusting its policy toward North Korea.By stimulating North Korea to create tension in the peninsula and increase South Korea's sense of insecurity,thereby increasing its security dependence on the United States,it is necessary to compromise the United States.In this way,the United States can continue to maintain its long-term alliance management with South Korea.At the same time,Trump,who adheres to the "U.S.priority" principle,advocates that South Korea should share more responsibilities of the alliance and make concessions on the "US-Korea Free Trade Agreement" and the defense expenses of the US military in South Korea.President Moon Jae-in represents the progressive party of South Korea,and demanding more "autonomy" is his important idea for theUS-ROK alliance.On this issue,he showed a different attitude from his predecessor.Since taking office,he has actively promoted related work.He has repeatedly stated that he wants to strive for the improvement of South Korea 's status in order to reduce its military dependence on the United States and recover its military.Command.On the other hand,Moon Jae-in attaches great importance to relations with China and strives to find a balance between the two major countries,China and the United States.Therefore,policy differences between the two countries inevitably exist in some areas due to differences in strategic goals.Although there are still some differences and frictions in the US-ROK alliance,due to the objective existence of external threats,South Korea cannot completely get rid of its security dependence on the United States,and the strategic deployment of the United States is inseparable from the pivot of South Korea.The United States and South Korea support each other's strategic support,and the common interests of the alliance far outweigh its differences.Therefore,the foundation of the alliance will not be shaken passively,and it will still play a common role in regional affairs.