South Korea has for years trodden on a tightrope between the United States and China, stuck in a dilemma and unable to choose sides. Instead, it tries to seek autonomy from the US to deal with China, its largest trade partner, and flexibility to engage North Korea on its own. But if one day, China’s growing military power surpasses the US’, Dr Graham Ong-Webb, Adjunct Fellow at the RSIS in Singapore, said it is “entirely possible for a future South Korean administration to take refuge under Chinese security guarantees that mitigate North Korea as a threat”.