A potential change of government in Seoul could challenge the endurance of the institutions of trilateral security cooperation so assiduously built in 2024.

South Korea’s entry into the US shipbuilding industry will be resilient if it represents an alignment between strategic demand from the United States and economic opportunity for South Korea.

The United States and South Korea have established institutions to try and weather changes in administration. Measures like the US-Korea Supply Chain and Commercial Dialogue (SCCD), Senior Economic Dialogue, and the inauguration of the US-ROK Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) Dialogue all form part of a growing nexus of cooperation on shared issues between Washington and Seoul. Their continuation is necessary to promote bilateral partnership across all areas of the relationship. This will be key for the continued security of advanced technologies—made possible by the economic partnership between the United States and South Korea.

Financial issues plagued North Korea in 2024 with efforts to stop hyperinflation and currency debasement suddenly coming unraveled.

A KEI survey suggests that public opinion about the bilateral relationship and US commitments is relatively robust and broadly bipartisan.