The ironclad illusion: South Korea’s crisis puts alliance with US to the test



Opinion The ironclad illusion: South Korea’s crisis puts alliance with US to the test Blinken’s reassurances ring hollow after Yoon’s martial law. Washington needs to do more to speak up for ROK democracy John LeeJanuary 7, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok, Jan. 6, 2025 \| Image: ROK Ministry of Economy and Finance Antony Blinken’s final visit to South Korea as U.S. secretary of state came at a moment of profound political and strategic uncertainty. South Korea, reeling from President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, faces questions about the resilience of its democratic institutions and the stability of its leadership. At the same time, the U.S.-ROK alliance, often described in Washington and Seoul as “ironclad,” finds itself tested by these domestic upheavals. While Blinken’s remarksin Seoul sought to reaffirm the alliance’s strength, they also highlighted a critical question: Can the U.S. maintain unflinching support for South Korea’s security while © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump 02Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls 03North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy 04South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus 05AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline 06South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics 07Preschool test ban forces South Korea’s English hagwons to rethink placement 08Lee Jae Myung’s Wall Street pitch tests South Korea’s capital market credibility

Opinion

The ironclad illusion: South Korea’s crisis puts alliance with US to the test

Blinken’s reassurances ring hollow after Yoon’s martial law. Washington needs to do more to speak up for ROK democracy

John LeeJanuary 7, 2025

The ironclad illusion: South Korea’s crisis puts alliance with US to the test

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok, Jan. 6, 2025 | Image: ROK Ministry of Economy and Finance

Antony Blinken’s final visit to South Korea as U.S. secretary of state came at a moment of profound political and strategic uncertainty.

South Korea, reeling from President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed attempt to impose martial law, faces questions about the resilience of its democratic institutions and the stability of its leadership.

At the same time, the U.S.-ROK alliance, often described in Washington and Seoul as “ironclad,” finds itself tested by these domestic upheavals.

While Blinken’s remarksin Seoul sought to reaffirm the alliance’s strength, they also highlighted a critical question: Can the U.S. maintain unflinching support for South Korea’s security while

The ironclad illusion: South Korea’s crisis puts alliance with US to the test

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John Lee