Washington ensnares Yoon into geopolitical trap

Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol has returned from a six-day state visit to the United States, a visit which could have far-reaching impacts on the future of his country and that of the region, and perhaps, in some ways, of the world at large.

Judging from the promises he was given and the agreements he reached with the US, Yoon's visit to Washington seems more than rewarding, with his joint statement with US President Joe Biden presenting a blueprint of a closer partnership that ranges from semiconductors all the way to cyberspace.

Notwithstanding the fact that the two countries' alliance turns 70 this year, the same documents and agreements which Yoon claims as a bountiful harvest appear to be potentially lethal, which could significantly compromise the ROK's economic future. Inside the ROK, for instance, there has been complaint that Yoon may have just signed an ROK-edition of the Plaza Accord, submitting their country's semiconductors, among other things, to US control.