President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and U.S. President Joe Biden pose ahead of their talks on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, Peru, on Nov. 16, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea faces tough challenges in advancing its alliance with the United States amid a political crisis from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree earlier this month, with less than a month to go before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s second term begins.
Following last week’s parliamentary vote to impeach Yoon over the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, questions arise over whether Seoul is prepared to work with Washington to address key alliance and security issues, including North Korean threats, especially given Trump’s preferred top-down approach to diplomacy.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken over as acting president as the National Assembly voted Saturday to impeach Yoon. The Constitutional Court will have up to 180 days to review whether to remove Yoon from office.
“Trump places great importance on leader-level relationships. The most critical issue right now is that we might be missing the opportunity to persuade him on our positions at the leader-to-leader level, in line with our national interests,” Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, said by phone.
“It is questionable whether the acting president can carry enough weight with Trump, as Trump’s the kind of person who really pays attention to these things,” he said.
Trump’s reelection has potentially signaled a shake-up in alliance and security issues for Seoul, from possibly scrapping the defense cost-sharing agreement to demand more for stationing U.S. troops, to abandoning Biden’s subsidy programs for electric vehicle and battery makers, in which South Korean companies have heavily invested.
Trump’s unpredictability adds to concerns about how his administration will handle North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and its deployment of troops to Russia in support of the war against Ukraine.
Keeping the momentum going for the trilateral partnership involving Japan is also an important initiative for Seoul and Washington.
Earlier this week, Trump picked former Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as a presidential envoy for “special missions” on North Korea and other countries, amid speculation that Trump might revive his personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Experts point out that engaging with U.S. officials in the early stages of “Trump 2.0″ is vital, considering that Trump will likely roll out the policies he promised during his campaign right from the start.
“If we fail to respond effectively in the beginning, it could lead to serious problems,” Park said.
In this time of urgency, Yoon’s shocking declaration of martial law has thrown the country into chaos, with signs of diplomatic friction already emerging between the allies.
Yoon’s purported unilateral decision has sparked anger in Washington, leading some top U.S. officials to publicly voice their displeasure over the martial law declaration.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell described Yoon’s martial law decision as “badly misjudged” and “deeply illegitimate,” a remark seen as unusually strong for a government official addressing an ally.
Media reports revealed that U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg was unable to reach any officials in his host country on the night martial law was declared.
At a parliamentary session last week, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul admitted he withheld contact with the envoy to avoid “misleading” him.
“It is true that there were disruptions, but just because there had been no communication at the ministerial level doesn’t mean we didn’t communicate at all,” a senior foreign ministry official told reporters Sunday on condition of anonymity.
The two sides have moved quickly to patch things up. Following the parliamentary vote that ended the six-hour martial law decree, Washington highlighted South Korea’s democratic resilience shown through its constitutional procedures.
Seoul has stressed its “unwavering” and “ironclad” commitment to its alliance with the U.S., a sentiment also echoed by Washington.
With Yoon’s impeachment, a key focus for South Korea will likely be pushing for an early in-person meeting between Han and Trump, in whatever form it may take.
“I believe the possibility of a meeting with our acting president can be discussed within the broader context of a normal diplomatic scheduling,” the ministry official said.
The official also hinted at possible arrangements for a special government delegation around the time of Trump’s inauguration.
In a press conference Sunday, Cho vowed full preparations for the incoming Trump administration and efforts to restore trust and support for the acting president system.
“I will make sure that preparations for the new U.S. administration proceed without delays … to ensure there are no security gaps and to respond decisively to North Korea’s threats and provocations,” he said.
(Yonhap)
