Developing its own nuclear arms is a political luxury Seoul can’t afford. Instead, it must expand its economic and diplomatic networks.
In his second term, President Trump is pursuing a transactional diplomacy prioritizing US interests, straining the US-South Korea alliance through economic grievances and demands for greater defense cost-sharing. South Korea is apprehensive about US security commitments and the potential impact of policy changes like the scraping of the Chips and Science Act.
