Try as it might, South Korea’s military relationship with the U.S. means that it can’t escape the fallout of current tensions over Taiwan.

China’s increasing assertiveness in the Taiwan Strait has raised concerns that it might only be a matter of time before Beijing makes its move. In response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taipei trip last month, China fired missiles near the island and simulated a blockade of Taiwan.

Adm. Philip Davidson, former commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, famously said last year that China could even launch its invasion by 2027. Some think that declining demographics