Four months into his new administration, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has found himself in trouble.
His national approval rating has plummeted, his governing People Power Party does not control parliament, and five of his Cabinet-level appointees have been forced to step down amid accusations of nepotism, sexual harassment and other ethical lapses.
Yet despite myriad domestic challenges, Yoon is hoping to boost his popularity at home and raise his profile on the world stage by pursuing a new foreign policy agenda, one that would deepen his country’s alliance with Washington in everything from missile defense to global supply chains while seeking to avoid antagonizing China or provoking North Korea into war.