South Korea Questions US Alliance After Decades of War Sacrifice

South Korea is rethinking its decades-long military alliance with the United States. The shift comes as American foreign policy becomes more transactional, raising concerns in Seoul about reliability. In 2013, then-President Park Geun-hye highlighted the alliance's foundation in a speech to the US Congress. She emphasized the shared blood shed during the Korean War, where over 36,000 Americans died. This history created an expectation of deep loyalty between the nations. However, recent US actions suggest a shift toward deals based on immediate cost and benefit, not shared history. This change forces South Korea to ask hard questions. Is the alliance still reciprocal? Can it rely on US support? Should it seek more strategic autonomy, or independence, in its defense planning? The answers will define the future of a partnership once thought unbreakable.