A U.S. think tank has proposed that Washington increase the role of its alliance with Seoul in achieving the U.S.'s vision in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The Center for a New American Security(CNAS) offered policy proposals via a recent report on the South Korea-U.S. alliance, where it said South Korea has the potential to “play a consequential role in advancing the United States’ broader vision for a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.”

Noting Seoul’s “globally oriented policies,” polished through its successful responses to COVID-19, CNAS urged the U.S. to “parlay these efforts” so South Korea will play a bigger role as a global partner. 

Strengthening the alliance, the report said, will also help them be better equipped to address geopolitical risks in Northeast Asia, including those concerning North Korea. 

Even if denuclearization talks with the North remain in the doldrums, the report said the U.S. should rethink the posture and position of U.S. Forces Korea to allow them to serve as more than just a land-based deterrent against the regime.