South Korea, long regarded as one of America’s most reliable allies in Asia, is now facing a dangerous shift under President Lee Jae-myung. Instead of reinforcing the Korea–U.S. alliance, Lee is tilting Seoul toward North Korea, China, and Russia—the three pillars of anti-American and anti-Western totalitarianism.
Unlike Pyongyang, Beijing, or Moscow, regime change in Seoul is not an impossible task. That is precisely what makes South Korea the weakest link in this authoritarian bloc—and the one Washington can least afford to ignore.
South Korea remains different from its authoritarian counterparts in three important ways.
First, South Korea does not possess nuclear weapons.
Second, a majority of its citizens still support the alliance with the United States and the values of liberal democracy.
South Korean government, the ruling party, the media, and the courts were all led by pro-China, pro-North Korean, and anti-American socialists, but the majority of Koreans strongly support liberal democracy and the Korea-U.S. alliance. Freedom-loving Korean citizens have been rallying in Seoul every weekend for the ninth year.
Third, even within the left, a sizable portion harbors distrust of China and skepticism toward Lee himself.
While regime change in Pyongyang, Beijing, or Moscow is virtually impossible, Seoul remains the weakest link. Lee’s illegal transfer of funds to North Korea and his pressure on courts to overturn convictions threaten U.S. leverage over South Korea. Washington must act now.
Yet Lee’s actions have raised serious alarms. He illegally transferred vast sums of money to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions and now faces criminal convictions at home. His political allies are pressuring South Korean courts to overturn these rulings. Should he secure an acquittal, Washington will lose one of its few remaining levers of influence over a leader increasingly hostile to U.S. interests.
The implications extend far beyond Seoul. If South Korea drifts further into the orbit of China, Russia, and North Korea, America’s entire security architecture in the Indo-Pacific could be destabilized. For the United States, the choice is clear: confront the problem now with maximum pressure—or risk losing a vital ally to the enemy camp.
South Korea is not yet lost. But time is running short, and Washington must decide whether to act before it is too late.
- Editorial Office of Freedom Chosun
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