Facing an increasingly uncertain strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States and one of its key allies -- South Korea -- are pursuing increased cooperation beyond Northeast Asia, a path that is expected to lead them to Southeast Asia.
The ever-evolving complexities of the South China Sea region show that shared socio-political history is just one ingredient -- among many others -- that makes security initiatives and other forms of cooperation successful. But several challenges remain and a lot more needs to be done for the two allies to engage more with countries in the region, mainly through security cooperation, experts say.
The ties between the US and South Korea with Asean have been particularly close over the past decade, with cooperation on many fronts. Washington, in particular, has always expressed its interest in playing an increasing assertive role in preserving peace and stability in the region.
