Trump’s Alaska LNG claim shows who really runs the US-South Korea alliance
With no one below the president owning the file, Seoul’s nuclear and submarine goals now wait on Trump’s investment wins
October 8, 2026
ANALYSIS, OPINION & MORE
South Korea recalls Ukraine envoy as Lee’s public demands constrain diplomacy
Kyiv denies apologizing over the North Korean prisoner transfer, complicating negotiations to restore diplomatic ties
South Korea’s Nuri success shifts focus from launch proof to space industry
Seoul must build launch demand, cut costs and transfer more operational control to industry before Nuri is replaced
South Korea’s missile defense push raises new questions over wartime stocks
New systems improve interception, but Seoul has not shown that stocks and factories could sustain repeated large salvos
Supreme Court vacancy hardens into constitutional showdown over Cho Hee-dae
Failed consultations now threaten to rewrite the informal rules that have long governed South Korean Supreme Court picks
South Korea bank hacks expose weak links beyond core financial systems
Regulators widen checks as attackers target employee, contractor and loan systems outside banks’ protected cores
South Korea’s crude shift tests how far Saudi oil dominance can endure
Aramco’s deep Asia discounts will test whether Korea’s lower Saudi share marks structural change or a wartime response
North Korean mine dispute, new Lee advisers and US investment pressure — Ep. 151
Seoul navigates a sensitive DMZ incident while pushing engagement and resisting premature claims over Alaska LNG
Lee-Trump talks, US investment pressure and Mexico trip — Ep. 150
Seoul pushes North Korea diplomacy, weighs costly US projects and looks to deepen ties with Mexico
Hormuz deployment, France nuclear deal and Olympic Park protests — Ep. 149
Seoul weighs military involvement in Middle East, expands energy cooperation with Paris, ends sports federation blockade
Veteran general tapped for defense minister as Cabinet dispute grows — Ep. 148
Kang Shin-chul’s nomination, Yong Hye-in’s dual-role controversy and proposal for longer school days
South Korea’s drone push falters as police reform raises alarm — Ep. 147
Prototype crashes expose defense challenges while high-profile cases cast doubt on expanded police authority
Trump cuts UFS drills as Kim summit push rattles alliance — Ep. 146
Abrupt shortening of major US-ROK exercise raises readiness and OPCON questions as Seoul backs renewed diplomacy
Lee-Zelensky feud exposes South Korea’s widening Ukraine policy dilemma
Kyiv’s refinery strikes are colliding with Seoul’s approach to energy security, North Korea and Central Asia
Trump’s Alaska LNG threat tests South Korea’s US investment safeguards
Trump left the threatened penalty vague, but Seoul now faces an early test of how usable its safeguards really are
Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump
South Korea seeks influence over renewed US-North Korea diplomacy as Pyongyang shuts Seoul out of direct talks
North Korean mine dispute, new Lee advisers and US investment pressure — Ep. 151
Seoul navigates a sensitive DMZ incident while pushing engagement and resisting premature claims over Alaska LNG
Shinhan Bank data leak could trigger wider scrutiny across South Korean lenders
Regulators are examining how attackers reached loan-related data and whether weaknesses exist at other banks
Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls
Texas is approved, nuclear remains conditional and Alaska LNG will show how costly Seoul’s right to walk away may be
