President Yoon Suk Yeol despatched a congratulatory message to Donald Trump on Wednesday night Seoul time, when he was reported as getting ready to victory.
Yoon posted to his official account on social media platform X, “Below your sturdy management, the way forward for the ROK-US alliance and America will shine brighter. Stay up for working intently with you.” ROK stands for Republic of Korea, which is South Korea’s official identify.
“Relying on the election final result, Yoon is predicted to have an opportunity to speak with the US President-elect within the coming days,” an official of the presidential workplace stated on situation of anonymity, a couple of hours earlier than former US president and Republican candidate Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speech.
With Trump declaring victory Wednesday Seoul time, South Korea is going through strain to plan a brand new strategy to the South Korea-US alliance — which has virtually served because the central axis of South Korea’s overseas affairs technique below the incumbent US President Joe Biden’s administration — the continuity of which is in query because of transition of energy.
However the unnamed official stated that they’ve maintained communication with the marketing campaign groups of each Trump and his Democrat contender Kamala Harris, who’s at the moment Vice President of the US.
Throughout Biden’s tenure in Washington, Yoon’s workplace has lauded the two-way alliance between South Korea and the US, in addition to the three-way ties between South Korea, US and Japan, as keys to countering safety threats on the Korean Peninsula with North Korea’s rising navy provocation.
Though Trump usually touted his relationship with North Korean chief Kim Jong-un as the one former US president to have held bilateral talks with a North Korean counterpart, the official of the presidential workplace stated Trump’s stance towards North Korea will possible change after a transition of energy.
The official added that North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia to probably interact in direct fight within the Ukraine warfare has made the state of affairs very difficult.
Seoul can also be intently watching the influence Trump’s declaration of victory might have on the protection cost-sharing deal formally signed Monday, over the US armed forces’ deployment to South Korea.
When requested concerning the potential renegotiation of the cost-sharing deal in a situation the place Trump returns to the White Home, the official stated communication has been happening with each the Trump and Harris marketing campaign groups over numerous agendas concerning the Seoul-Washington alliance. This consists of the diploma of South Korea’s contribution to the associated fee to take care of 28,500-strong US Forces Korea.
Yoon is poised to carry a press convention and ship an handle to the nation on Thursday.
