Burden Sharing and Burden Shifting: The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy and Alliance Reconfiguration in Northeast Asia

Key Points

• The aim is to explore how the U.S. adjusts security responsibilities in Northeast Asia while maintaining alliances.
• Combines strategic text analysis and institutional analysis to study alliance management theories.
• Analyzes the roles and responsibilities of South Korea and Japan in regional security and U.S. strategies.
• The U.S. increases demands on South Korea and Japan for regional security responsibilities.
• Strategic ambiguity regarding North Korea raises concerns about the credibility of U.S. deterrence.
• The shift in alliance dynamics indicates a move towards a multi-polar and uncertain security order in Northeast Asia.

Abstract