"Step Up and Lead": Trump's Ambassador Tells South Korea It Has Earned a Bigger Role. She Is Right
At an AMCHAM Korea luncheon on Oct. 21, U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel said South Korea no longer needs to be protected and should lead the Indo-Pacific alongside America, while Gen. Xavier Brunson called for year-round training. In our view, it is the Trump alliance doctrine: strong allies carry real weight.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 22, 2026 | 6-min read The U.S.-Korea alliance, as Ambassador Michelle Steel said when she arrived in Seoul, "was forged in war and secured by blood" [1]. Today South Korea is an economic power in its own right. On Wednesday, Steel told a Seoul business audience what that success means: "This is the time for South Korea to step up and lead the Indo-Pacific alongside the United States" [2]. In our view, she is exactly right, and her message is the heart of President Trump's alliance strategy: strong allies should carry real weight. Key Takeaways Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce in Korea luncheon on Oct. 21, Steel said South Korea is "no longer a country that needs to be protected by the United States," according to Dong-A Ilbo [2]. She called China "the greatest threat in the Indo-Pacific region" and urged closer cooperation between Seoul and Washington [3]. She acknowledged the alliance is going through "a somewhat difficult period," citing strains over wartime operational control, intelligence cooperation and delays in investment in the United States [2]. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of