President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the U.S. last week was chiefly designed to dispel concerns that the Park administration is siding closer with China.

The visit, which was rescheduled following the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in Korea earlier this year, took place after Park attended a military parade in Beijing marking Victory Day on Sept. 3, and so it was seen as vital to Korea’s interests to dismiss speculation that the Korea-U.S. relations were in trouble.

The two leaders spoke unequivocally about the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance. Obama, during a joint press conference with Park, said “Our alliance remains a linchpin of peace and security — not just on the Korean Peninsula, but across the region.” Park echoed the same sentiment almost verbatim when she said “The Korea-U.S. alliance is the linchpin of peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.”

Mindful of the concerns raised by her attendance at the Victory Day parade — an event most world leaders shunned, with the exception of Russian President Vladimir Putin — Park pointed out that Obama affirmed that Korea-U.S. relations and Korea-China relations can be compatible and that he supported Korea’s policies toward China.

Obama, similarly, said, “We want South Korea to have a strong relationship with China, just as we want to have a strong relationship with China.” However, Obama added that the U.S. wants to work with China to uphold international norms and rules. In fact, the U.S. sanctioning of close ties between Korea and China came with an important caveat: When China fails to abide by international norms and rules, the U.S. expects Korea to “speak out on that, just as we do.”

Obama’s very pointed statement is in reference to China’s building of artificial islands on reefs in disputed regions in the South China Sea. In fact, this is not the first time the U.S. has pressed Korea to speak out on the issue; in June a U.S. State Department official had asked Korea to address the matter.

So far, Seoul has been mum on the subject. However, it will soon be asked to take a stance and the Park administration must be ready to take a clear principled position rather than look for an easy way out of a difficult quandary.

America’s rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and China’s expansionism are bound to clash soon. In fact, there are already signs that the two great powers are headed that way. Pessimists among us will say we are the proverbial shrimp caught between two whales. Economically, Korea cannot afford to offend, much less alienate, its largest trading partner, China. Militarily, Korea relies on the U.S. to maintain peace on the peninsula. Both countries play a significant role in the effort to denuclearize North Korea. In fact, relations with the two countries are equally important to Korea.

Finding a way out of this geopolitical quagmire will be one of the biggest challenges for Park throughout the remainder of her tenure. A way must be found that best serves Korea’s interests. In searching for that path, upholding of international norms and rules as the ultimate value could be a guiding light.