Tackling Trump risks to protect our interests
Published: 06 Nov. 2024, 19:52
Updated: 08 Nov. 2024, 10:31
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
Former U.S. president and Republican candidate Donald Trump won the Nov. 5 election. Upon grabbing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, Trump declared, “We made history for a reason,” as he was projected to win in six of the seven battleground states. Trump broke away from the long tradition of the winner declaring victory after the rivaling candidate conceded.
Trump hinted at a drastic shift in U.S. foreign policy by promising to “not rest until we have delivered the strong safe and prosperous America.” The reaffirmation of his cherished tenet — “Make America Great Again” — heralds another seismic change in the security order of Northeast Asia and the rest of the world.
Trump always perceives U.S. allies as countries who exploit America for their own sake. He proclaimed that he would swiftly end the Ukraine war, if elected. South Korea cannot be an exception. During campaigns, Trump boasted of his ability to prevent North Korea from “posing nuclear and missile threats” during his first term. It suggests a novel scheme to rebuild the existing security paradigm on the Korean Peninsula regardless of the Camp David Declaration between current U.S. President Joe Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The defense cost-sharing deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement, will be affected, too. In October, Seoul and Washington set the guidelines for the cost-sharing for five years from 2026. As a result, South Korea is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.09 billion) in 2026, up 8.3 percent from 2025. But Trump said he would demand South Korea to pay $10 billion — nine times bigger than the current number — after branding South Korea a “money machine.” During his first term, Trump demanded $10 billion as the defense cost from South Korea. After Seoul refused, he reduced the amount to $5 billion, which included the costs for deploying U.S. strategic assets to South Korea and flying U.S. satellites over the Korean Peninsula. If Trump rushes to strike a nuclear reduction deal with the North, that’s a disaster for the South.
Our presidential office promised to open communication channels with the Trump camp as early as possible. President Yoon must directly meet with the president-elect, establish cooperation systems with his aides and find ways to realize the common interests of the two allies. Our government can refer to how the Park Geun-hye administration approached the Trump camp shortly after his election victory in 2016. Our government must also cooperate with Japan and other countries to establish a bilateral or multilateral network to protect our national interests. Trump will be inaugurated as president on Jan. 20 next year. The clock is ticking.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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