The May 2021 U.S.-South Korea summit meeting was highly successful in underscoring the strong bilateral relationship, shared values and objectives, and the importance of South Korea not only to the United States but also on the world stage. The lengthy joint statement “U.S.-ROK Leaders’ Joint Statement,” The White House, May 21, 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/21/u-s-rok-leaders-joint-statement/. had something for everybody, reflecting both a compendium of agreements and compromises on security issues. The U.S.–South Korean alliance has played an indispensable role in maintaining peace and stability in northeast Asia. Seoul has also been a stalwart ally in providing troops for security and peacekeeping operations far from its shores. Maintaining the alliance as part of the broader bilateral relationship is critically important for achieving U.S. strategic objectives in Asia. However, despite sharing similar strategic objectives, it is clear that there are significant differences between the Biden and Moon administrations on North Korea policy and broader regional security issues. Seoul’s continued reluctance to criticize Chinese belligerence and intimidation is disappointing. U.S. policymakers will need to balance maintaining resolve against North Korean and Chinese transgressions with preventing discord with critical ally South Korea.