As the diplomatic prospects for resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis took center stage while the military focus remained fixed on North Korea’s persistent advances and the “fire and fury” that President Trump threatened to unleash, it remained important in the first months of 2018 to keep the eyes of the international community on South Korea’s own national security options. What are the main options? What forces may determine which of them should be chosen? How will that choice impact the US-ROK alliance and regional geopolitics? In this Special Forum, we offer four perspectives on Seoul’s strategic choices, covering South Korean public opinion, the impact of assessing Kim Jong-un’s intentions, the need to strengthen the US-ROK deterrence architecture, and how Seoul’s strategic decisions may affect the alliance with Washington.

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