There is no denying that South Korean President's visit to Ukraine sent one alarming message to North Korea, as well as serving as a reminder to China. Since President Yoon took the office, political threat from North Korea has become more concerning than ever. North Korea's ongoing missile testing and nuclear weapon development are making both the US and South Korea more edgy and nervous. How should we understand Yoon's plea to the US, in terms of building better security ties with the west? Is China the only answer to the question? Why did Yoon support Ukraine in a bigger way?

Jenny Town is a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and the Director of Stimson’s 38 North Program. Her expertise is in North Korea, US-DPRK relations, US-ROK alliance and Northeast Asia regional security. Ms. Town is also an expert reviewer for Freedom House’s Freedom in the World Index, where she previously worked on the Human Rights in North Korea Project.