Our Scans · Seoul · Weekly Summary

• Beijing's alignment with Seoul is likely to serve as a warning to North Korea, which continues its strategic cooperation with Russia. Brookings
• Russia and North Korea have signed a strategic partnership that Seoul is worried includes high-tech transfers that could be used in missile technology. CBC
• U.S. policymakers and the American public might question the continued value and relevance of its military relationship with South Korea if Seoul attempted to sit on the sidelines - or, especially, to restrict the use of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea. The Heritage Foundation
• The US is expected to pressure Seoul to reduce its dependency on Chinese trade and align with Washington's export controls that target exports of advanced technology to Beijing. Asia Times
• In January, Seoul and Washington signed a memorandum to enhance cooperation on nuclear power exports and advance civilian nuclear projects - an initiative that could expand significantly under a Trump administration. Asia Times
• South Korea and the United States have conducted a combined counterfire exercise aimed at deterring North Korea's artillery threats in the greater Seoul area. Yonhap News Agency
• Maersk Air Cargo temporarily suspended scheduled flights from Shenyang, China, to Greenville via Seoul, South Korea, last summer so the Boeing 767-300 aircraft could be used to launch a route connecting Chicago-Rockford International Airport with Zhengzhou. Yahoo News
• Japan is taking steps to enhance its deterrence capabilities and the extended deterrence relationship with the United States, even though Tokyo mutes its concerns about US vulnerability to North Korean missile attack more than Seoul. Atlantic Council
• Despite positive developments such as the Nuclear Consultative Group launched under the Biden-Yoon administration, lingering doubts remain about whether the United States would risk a nuclear exchange with North Korea in defence of Seoul. The Geopolitics
• Washington and Seoul should develop strategic responses to North Korea's threats in maritime and undersea domains, as well as its efforts to penetrate U.S. missile defences. War on the Rocks
• Seoul warned Russia that Moscow's continued military cooperation with Pyongyang could prompt South Korea to provide lethal aid to Ukraine. War on the Rocks
• Trump's past implications that the U.S. might close bases in South Korea and withdraw at least some of its forces could have the unintended consequence of pushing Seoul to pursue its nuclear weapons to counter North Korea's strategic arsenal. NPR
• Seoul is said to have underscored its position to the U.S. that it aims to secure tariff exemptions first and foremost, and that if it fails to get exemptions, it hopes to at least ensure that South Korea is not put at a disadvantage compared with other countries. The koreatimes Times
• Seoul has repeatedly warned about the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology to North Korea in return for troops and weapons to support Moscow's war with Kiev. BSS
• Should North Korea continuously beef up its ballistic missile programs at a time when Trump approaches the South Korea-U.S. alliance as a business transaction, more and more South Koreans will demand Seoul to develop indigenous nuclear weapons for self-defence. The Diplomat
• There are concerns in Seoul that North Korea, in exchange for its troops and arms supplies, could receive Russian technology transfers that could improve its nuclear weapons and missile programs. KPRC Click2Houston
• As Trump views security conflicts as opportunities for business negotiations, he will likely demand that Seoul pay more for the U.S. defence commitment to South Korea - like he did during his first term, when his administration asked Seoul to increase its contribution more than five-fold. The Diplomat
• Alaska Air Group is launching Seattle as a global gateway for widebody flights with new nonstop service on Hawaiian Airlines between Seattle and Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT), and Seoul Incheon, South Korea beginning in 2025. Alaska Airlines News
• Seoul will continue its diplomatic efforts for the complete denuclearization of North Korea based on close trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo. MorungExpress
• Japan is wary of the political risks in South Korea and may choose to focus on its relationship with the United States, potentially at the expense of ties with Seoul. Eurasia Review
• If Seoul commits to blunting North Korea's escalations against both South Korea and Japan, Tokyo will retain relative comfort in committing the SDF to contain China in the East and South China Seas, even as North Korea and Russia grow more menacing. Eurasia Review

Last updated: 25 June 2025