South Korean Park Geun-hye met U.S. President Barack Obama on Oct. 16. Nominally it was a meeting between equals, but Park reaffirmed her nation's continuing dependence on America.
The alliance was created in the aftermath of the Korean War, which left the South wrecked and vulnerable to Pyongyang, then allied with both China and the Soviet Union. That world is gone. America's security commitment is an anachronism, a leftover from a distant era.
There's no doubt why Seoul continues to support the security relationship. South Korea saves money relying on the global superpower for protection.