Presidential office weighing impact of Trump assassination attempt on Korea-U.S. relations

The Korean presidential office is on high alert following an assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly in light of President Yoon Suk Yeol's diplomatic achievements with current U.S. President Joe Biden.

President Yoon Suk Yeol embraces U.S. President Joe Biden at the Korea-Japan-Australia-New Zealand (IP4) summit during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. on July 11. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

The Korean presidential office is on high alert following an assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump, with key aides assessing the potential electoral impact of the incident, particularly in light of President Yoon Suk Yeol's diplomatic achievements with current U.S. President Joe Biden.

At last week's North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, only South Korea, Britain and Ukraine held bilateral talks with Biden among the 40 participating countries.

During their meeting on July 11, Yoon and Biden issued joint guidelines for nuclear deterrence and nuclear operations on the Korean Peninsula, the only bilateral statement from the White House during the NATO summit.

"Biden's domestic schedule was very tight due to the upcoming election," an official from the presidential office told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Despite the busy schedule, Biden still made time for Yoon, with the U.S. leader telling his Korean counterpart they would always act together, the official said. This trust has led some foreign leaders to ask Yoon to convey their requests to Biden.

The presidential office maintains that the trust between Yoon and Biden and Trump’s election prospects are separate issues, emphasizing that the Korea-U.S. alliance transcends political parties.

In a Reuters interview on July 8, Yoon declined to comment on potential changes in Korea’s foreign policy if Trump were elected, reaffirming the bipartisan support for the alliance over the past 70 years.

"Trump's camp assured us that the Korea-U.S. alliance would not be weakened but rather even strengthened," National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin said in a televised interview with Yonhap News TV on Sunday.

"[Korea's] Foreign Ministry is in contact with both Democratic and Republican officials through various diplomatic channels, prioritizing national interests," noted a senior official from the presidential office.

However, experts say Seoul must prepare for the potential restart of the Trump era.

The recent joint statement on nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula, based on the Washington Declaration and the Camp David agreement from August last year — seen as Biden’s diplomatic achievements — raises concerns that these may not be continued under a Trump administration.

“Trump views everything, including alliances, as negotiable," said Kim Jae-chun, a professor at Sogang University’s Graduate School of International Studies. "All possibilities, from the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Korea to reducing joint military exercises and even our own nuclear armament, could be on the table."

"In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the likelihood of Trump winning was not high, so few [in the country] contacted the Republican camp," a former high-ranking diplomatic and security official added. "Now, it’s almost head-to-head."

Political tensions in Korea have also escalated, with two attacks on politicians this year alone ahead of the April 10 general election.

On Jan. 2, former liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by a man in his 60s during a visit to Busan. Lee was discharged from the hospital following surgery on Jan. 10, eight days after the attack.

Just 23 days after Lee's stabbing, on Jan. 25, another attack targeted lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin from the president's People Power Party. Bae was attacked by a teenager wielding a rock in a building in Gangnam, southern Seoul, and transported to the hospital after suffering head injuries.

BY PARK TAE-IN,SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]