What If America Pulls Back Behind the Second Island Chain?

A new U.S. policy proposal calls for a major reduction of America’s forward military presence in Asia and a shift toward the Second Island Chain.

But what would such a strategy actually mean for Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and the wider U.S. alliance system in the Indo-Pacific?

This DKI Defense Analysis Brief examines the strategic questions behind the proposal, the trade-offs it creates, and why the debate matters far beyond the issue of U.S. forces in Korea.