A recent opinion poll by the Pew Research Center, a globally respected, nonpartisan research organization, shows that Korean sentiment toward the United States has fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades. Since Pew began tracking Korean views of the U.S. in the early aughts, Koreans have generally maintained a highly favorable opinion of their American ally. But this year, 55 percent of Korean respondents expressed an unfavorable view of the United States, compared with 45 percent who viewed it favorably. I try not to read too much into opinion polls, which can be capricious and reflect temporary moods. Still, I cannot help taking this one seriously because it seems to tell us something about the changing dynamics of U.S.-Korea relations, as well as America’s relationships with its allies more broadly. First, while many observers seem surprised that Korea, a major U.S. ally, has developed such negative feelings toward its traditionally important partner, I am actually surprised that close to half of Koreans still maintain a favorable view of the United States. Look at Pew