South Korea has America in its face and China breathing down its neck

Yoon Suk-yeol entered office last May with an ambitious vision for his country’s place in the world. He promised to make South Korea an assertive champion of freedom and human rights “not just for ourselves but also for others”. He spoke of it as a “global pivotal state”, pushing liberal values in developing and developed countries alike. Such rhetoric was unusual in a country that traditionally considers itself a shrimp trapped between whales.It was music to American ears. President Joe Biden has sought to (the two leviathans in question) by bigging up its Asian allies. He, too, appeals to their liberal values, including by rallying Japan, South Korea and the rest to join a “battle between democracy and autocracy”. Yet almost a year into Mr Yoon’s term there is no great change in South Korea’s diffident international posture, even as America’s demands on its allies have increased. Mr Yoon, who is in Washington this week for the first state visit by a South Korean leader in over a decade, has hesitated to back America’s arming of Ukraine. And he has largely spurned its trade and technology campaign against China. Mr Biden, who held talks with Mr Yoon on April 26th, applauded South Korea’s willingness to take on “greater global responsibilities”. But he expects more.