South Korea Isn’t Sure the US Has Its Back
With North Korea developing more potent technology, Seoul is questioning the American commitment and thinking about building its own bomb.
Eyeing nuclear superiority.
Photographer: Jorge Silva/AFP/Getty Images
The Group of 7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last week was dominated by the two issues that have riveted US policymakers of late: The war in Ukraine and escalating competition with China. But as Washington fixates on great-power competition, other geopolitical threats are getting worse.
Iran’s nuclear program keeps inching ahead, raising the risk of showdown with the US and Israel. America may think that its global war on terrorism is over, but extremism continues to fester from Afghanistan to Africa. And, as became clear when I visited South Korea last week for the Asian Leadership Conference, North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities are rapidly improving, in ways that will put the alliance between Washington and Seoul to the test.