- The U.S.-South Korea alliance, strong a year ago, now faces significant uncertainty due to new leadership in both countries, with Presidents Trump and Lee Jae-myung questioning the alignment of their nations' interests, particularly regarding China.

- This shift risks a downgrade of South Korea's standing as a top-tier U.S. ally in Asia, potential unilateral U.S. troop withdrawals that could fuel South Korean abandonment fears, and uncoordinated reassessments of North Korea and China strategies by both nations.

- To prevent decoupling, both sides must engage ingenuine consultation before undertakingunilateral actions, encouraging South Korea's continued role in regional and global cooperation, and holding an early strategic dialogue to bridge policy differences on China and North Korea.

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