The poor showing by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party in the midterm elections has weakened his administration politically, raising questions about the future of American foreign policy and Washington’s commitment to longstanding alliances.
These uncertainties are particularly consequential in Northeast Asia, where strains in the U.S.-South Korea alliance threaten trilateral security cooperation with Japan.
Since South Korean President Lee Jae Myung took office after a snap election in June 2025, tensions in the alliance have grown, jeopardizing cooperation among Washington, Tokyo and Seoul as regional threats mount. Latent friction in the alliance stems from a steady accumulation of Seoul’s subtle pro-Beijing signals, perhaps due to its growing deference to Beijing’s preferences on intelligence and regional deterrence.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.