Why US defence strategy may push South Korea, Japan towards ‘radical’ security realignment

Washington’s latest defence strategy of providing “more limited US support” to its allies is expected to damage domestic backing for leaders in Japan and South Korea and spur greater momentum among regional countries towards military self-reliance. Analysts also warn that such a realignment could lead to a “radical swing” in regional security calculations, and in the case of South Korea, weaken its deterrence against the North. In the National Defence Strategy (NDS) released by the US Defence...