To say that the America of today is not the America of the late 20th century is not a bold statement. The relative power decline of the US has been noted by many observers for several decades. But today’s America is not just relatively less powerful compared to other nations; the US today is on a course to politically implode.

Since Korea’s democratization in 1987, the alliance between the US and South Korea has proudly been grounded in the shared values of democracy and market capitalism. Neither country was perfect at implementing them, particularly the commitment to democracy. Yet both aspired to pursue them vigorously.

Regarding democracy, Korea’s efforts to prosecute Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempted self-coup are most notable, but the US also strove to bring to justice those who attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The dedication to market economics has become clearer, as displayed by the signing of the Korea-US free trade agreement in 2007.

However, the US commitment to these values has never wavered to this degree since the alliance was forged in 1953. Many Americans no longer recognize the country in which they live and the laws governing the country are being, or threatening to be, changed at an alarming rate since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

The ongoing efforts by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement are the most visible example. Federal agents don masks as they detain not only migrants who are in the US illegally, but legal immigrants and even US citizens, often without warrants. Dozens have been killed in the past year by ICE, including two US citizens protesting their unlawful actions in Minneapolis in January.

Yet aside from the actions of ICE, many Americans increasingly worry the Trump administration lacks any basic commitment to democracy and its foundation: free and fair elections. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently raided a Georgia election center looking for evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

This should sound eerily familiar to Koreans, after Yoon’s martial law declaration in December 2024 was accompanied by a similar raid on National Election Commission facilities. Trump even recently called on fellow Republicans to “nationalize elections.” While such an undertaking would inevitably be strongly challenged in the courts, it is one of the most worrying signs that the US is on a steep slide into a gray zone between democracy and outright authoritarianism.

Trouble exists on the economics side as well, as Trump oversees an unprecedented intrusion into the private sector. He recently approved the sale of high-tech artificial intelligence chips by Nvidia to China on the condition that 25 percent of the sales be given to the US government.

The corrupt “pay-to-play” nature of the US economy is also on display with Coupang — many have argued the US backing of Coupang in its disagreement with the Lee Jae Myung administration can be attributed to extensive lobbying and political donations in the US.

Some may dismiss this as hyperbole. And sure, some of the worst forecasts for American democracy may turn out to be incorrect. But the rampant corruption of the Trump administration is nearly impossible to deny at this point. South Korea, now more than ever, needs to be clear-eyed about the realities within its treaty ally.

Will a government that is willing to imprison its own citizens be willing to protect the citizens of another country in case of war? Would the Trump administration advocate for Korean sovereignty as it seeks to undermine the sovereignty of its allies in Europe? Can Korean products fairly compete in the US market, or will a never-ending stream of bribes be needed?

The Lee Jae Myung administration appears to be making adjustments in preparation for such eventualities through policies such as pushing for the return of wartime operational control of the military and control of the DMZ.

Unfortunately, however, honest discussion about what is happening in the US, at least on a public level, seems scarce.

Korean policymakers would do well to begin acknowledging what is happening in Washington and preparing its people for a day when the US is no longer a defender of democracy and market economics — that day may have already arrived.

Benjamin A. Engel

Benjamin A. Engel is an assistant professor of Korean studies at Dankook University. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. — Ed.


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