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US presidential candidate Trump giving difficult tasks to Korea

US presidential candidate Trump giving difficult tasks to Korea

Posted July. 23, 2016 06:56,   

Updated July. 23, 2016 07:13

한국어

Real estate millionaire Donald Trump declared "Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo," in his acceptance speech at the Republic Party's convention on Thursday. He also made it clear that he is against FTAs by criticizing his opponent: "Clinton supported the job killing trade deal with South Korea. She has supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP will not only destroy our manufacturing, but it will make America subject to the rulings of foreign governments." If the Republican candidate wins the election in November, the US foreign security policy will shift from interventionism to neo-isolationism and it economic policy will adopt protectionism.

Trump did not mention about Korea specifically in his speech Thursday local time, but in an interview with the New York Times published on July 19, he said, "There is no guarantee that we will have peace in Korea ... In the meantime we have let North Korea get stronger and stronger and more nuclear and more nuclear," questioning the purpose of the U.S. Armed Forces in Korea. He remarked that if the U.S. does not receive reimbursement for protecting its alliances, "They should protect themselves" during his campaign, showing his intention to renegotiate the US' share of defense expenses and to withdraw the US force from Korea.

After Trump said in an interview that the U.S. would not intervene even when Baltic countries, which are members of NATO, are attacked by Russia, some European countries are expressing concerns and criticism. If the US returns to isolationism, Russia and China will keep expanding aggressively, leading to reduction in the global trades and affecting the world's prosperity and peace.

The majority of American people do not think that Trump will be the next president, and the New York Times even predicted that the chance for Clinton's victory is 76 percent. However, what was deemed as a storm in a teacup has become one of the two strongest forces in the election, and this means that the American society desires for changes. This public sentiment will probably be reflected in policies of whoever becomes the next president.

If Trump does get elected, Korea will have two urgent issues: an increase in Korea's share of national defense expenses and renegotiation of the Korea-US FTA. Economically, readjusting the Korea-U.S. alliance would not be easy when Washington is taking a nationalist position. When the Republican Party takes over the administration in 2000, the Kim Dae-jung administration did not foresee any change in the U.S. policies on the Korean Peninsula. Later the government collided with the Bush administration's aggressive policies on North Korea. The government should not make the same mistake again.



한기흥기자 eligius@donga.com