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Trump points to South Korea as a nation unfairly benefiting from U.S. military support

Published: 05 Mar. 2025, 17:32 Updated: 05 Mar. 2025, 18:41

SEO JI-EUN
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U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on March 4. [AP/YONHAP]

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

U.S. President Donald Trump in his speech to Congress on Tuesday pinpointed South Korea as a country that unfairly benefits from America’s economic and security commitments, saying that his country provides “so much help militarily and in so many other ways” while apparently receiving little in return.

In his first joint address to Congress of his second term, Trump framed his argument by first criticizing the global trade system.

“Countless other nations charge us tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them,” he said. “It’s very unfair.”

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Citing India and China before turning to South Korea, Trump asserted, “South Korea’s average tariff is four times higher” than the tariffs the U.S. imposes on South Korea.

“And we give so much help militarily and in so many other ways to South Korea. But that’s what happens. This is happening by friend and foe,” he continued, concluding, “This system is not fair to the United States and never was.”

Trump, however, did not provide specific data to support his claim.

South Korea, under its free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, trades most goods tariff-free. Some analysts suggest Trump may have been referring to non-tariff barriers such as value-added taxes or currency policies.

Trump also reaffirmed his plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs starting April 2 — raising concerns that South Korea could face higher U.S. tariffs.

“April 2, reciprocal tariffs kick in, and whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them,” he said. “That’s reciprocal, back and forth.”

While reciprocal tariffs are meant to match foreign duties, Trump has previously declared that he would also factor in non-tariff barriers like government subsidies and value-added taxes when setting rates.

Despite signing a new South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing deal last year, some analysts warn that Washington could link economic disputes to military issues, potentially demanding greater contributions from Seoul or even reconsidering the U.S. troop presence on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine the previous day further heightened concerns among U.S. allies.

Following a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump’s administration announced that all assistance would be withheld until Ukrainian leaders demonstrate “a good-faith commitment to peace.”

The vague condition leaves room for Trump’s personal interpretation, making the resumption of aid uncertain.

Experts warn that South Korea, which relies heavily on U.S. extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear threats, could also become a target of Trump’s unpredictable and transactional foreign policy and for Seoul to rethink its long-term defense posture.

“Depending on the progress of defense cost-sharing negotiations in the future, a suspension of strategic asset deployments to the Korean Peninsula is entirely possible,” said Jung Dae-jin, a professor of global business at Halla University. “South Korea may need to consider independent deterrence measures, such as significantly enhancing its Hyunmoo ballistic missile capabilities, a key element of its Kill Chain preemptive strike system.”

“There is a real possibility that Trump will push for cost-sharing on strategic asset deployments, U.S. troop reductions or other financial demands,” said Park Ihn-hwi, a professor of the Division of International Studies at Ewha Womans University. “If these demands are tied to U.S.-North Korea negotiations, South Korea could find itself in a very difficult position.”

During Trump’s first term, the United States halted strategic asset deployments to South Korea following the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement. From October 2018, after the USS Ronald Reagan — a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier — participated in the Jeju International Fleet Review, no additional U.S. strategic assets were deployed to the region. Joint military exercises were also scaled back or suspended while U.S.-North Korea talks were ongoing.

Adding to the uncertainty, Elbridge Colby, Trump's nominee for under secretary of Defense for Policy, acknowledged the “encouraging” trilateral partnership between South Korea, the United States and Japan but questioned its long-term stability.

Elbridge Colby, nominee for U.S. under secretary of Defense for Policy, attends his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“If we look at South Korean political dynamics over the last six to eight months, it’s not clear that that’s going to be enduring,” he said during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, seemingly referencing political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his attempt to impose martial law in December.

“There is a lot of spadework and political capital that's put into multilateral organization, whereas I think something may be building up to have more multilateralization in the region, but not the huge ambition of an Asia NATO,” Colby added.

Colby also reaffirmed his support for transferring wartime operational control (Opcon) to South Korea.

“If confirmed, I would need to review this delicate issue carefully,” he said in his written response to the Senate committee.

However, he added, “On the whole, I believe that President Trump’s vision of foreign policy involves empowering capable and willing allies like South Korea, and thus I support efforts to bolster South Korea’s role in the alliance.”

He also suggested the United States should “explore additional options” for expanding strategic cooperation with South Korea and that nuclear armament could be considered.

“Both China and North Korea are dramatically increasing their nuclear arsenals,” he wrote.

BY SEO JI-EUN,LEE GEUN-PYEONG,PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]