Kim Tae-hyo, deputy nationwide safety adviser to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, mentioned on Wednesday that Seoul will “work to ascertain an ideal Korea-U.S. safety posture with the brand new Washington administration to make sure unwavering nationwide safety.”
Kim mentioned South Korea needs to create a “stronger, extra dynamic international complete strategic alliance” with the US.
One other senior South Korean presidential official mentioned that “communication between President Yoon Suk-yeol and the president-elect will likely be organized promptly” to debate the probabilities for elevated cooperation.
South Korea dispatched profession diplomat Lee Tae-woo to Washington in March for accelerated negotiations on the renewal of the Particular Measures Settlement (SMA), an settlement first established in 1991, as a result of Seoul was involved Trump would win the 2024 election and demand greater contributions for protection.
Trump and his protection secretary, Mark Esper, each remarked that “rich” South Korea ought to pay extra for its personal protection through the first Trump administration. South Korea was providing a 13 % improve on the time, whereas Trump had one thing nearer to 400 % in thoughts.
South Korea managed to resume the SMA for 5 years with the Biden administration in October, with solely an 8.3 % improve to $1.09 billion in annual contributions. At across the identical time, Trump described South Korea as a “cash machine” in an interview with Bloomberg Information and mentioned it ought to be paying $10 billion a yr.
Bloomberg reported on Monday that South Korea made plans to extend oil and gasoline imports from the US if Trump received the election in a bid to mollify Trump by lowering South Korea’s commerce imbalance with America:
Officers in Seoul have been holding conferences with companies and assume tanks in current weeks to debate post-US election methods. After Trump began his earlier time period, South Korea rushed to search out methods to spice up vitality purchases from the US, in response to two individuals conversant in the matter.
The federal government might strategy main oil importers and ask them to boost the share of US purchases, though this doesn’t at all times consequence within the anticipated improve, the individuals mentioned. This time, geopolitical dangers within the Center East would possibly present further incentive for firms to show to the US for imports, they added.
South Korean refiners reportedly imagine growing crude oil imports from the US can be good enterprise, as a result of the American provide is at the moment extra worthwhile than Center Jap imports.
In accordance with Bloomberg, South Korea can be creating a public relations marketing campaign to persuade the second Trump administration, and Republicans in Congress, that South Korean firms are growing their investments in the US and hiring extra American employees.
President Yoon supplied congratulations to President-elect Trump early Wednesday morning on social media platform Twitter.
“Below your robust management, the way forward for the ROK-U.S. alliance and America will shine brighter. Sit up for working intently with you,” Yoon wrote. ROK is the Republic of Korea, the official title of the South Korean authorities.
Gallup Worldwide took a ballot earlier than the election that discovered 83 % of South Koreans imagine the result of the 2024 U.S. presidential election would have an effect on their nation. This was the very best proportion Gallup discovered when asking that query in 43 totally different nations.
Gallup’s ballot discovered that 71 % of Koreans most well-liked Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate, in comparison with solely 16 % who most well-liked Trump. Over half of Koreans mentioned they anticipated America’s standing on the planet to “deteriorate” if Trump received.
South Korea apprehensively watched North Korea make a number of provocative strikes earlier than the U.S. election, together with a serious intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) check final week and a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles fired into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, mere hours earlier than the presidential election acquired below method.
