U.S. alliance will be 'firmly maintained and strengthened' under Trump 2.0, Seoul's top envoy says

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Tuesday that the South Korea-U.S. alliance would be “firmly maintained and strengthened” under a second Donald Trump administration through coordinated policies and shared values.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks at a press conference held at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Tuesday that the South Korea-U.S. alliance would be “firmly maintained and strengthened” under a second Donald Trump administration through coordinated policies and shared values.

"I know that many are concerned that the international situation will become more unstable and the wave of protectionism will become stronger due to 'America First' policies after the new administration takes office early next year," said Cho during a press conference held at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. "Many changes are expected, but one thing is clear — the South Korea-U.S. alliance will be firmly maintained and strengthened.

"The institutionalization of small-scale cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan, as well as favorable external conditions for strengthening alliances, have been created,” Cho continued. “President-elect Trump’s policy direction, which emphasizes expanding the role of allies and contributing to security, is in line with our vision of a global pivotal nation that will fulfill its role and responsibility appropriate to its national power and status.”

“The first Trump administration was the first U.S. administration to fully pursue an Indo-Pacific strategy,” said Cho. “The free and open Indo-Pacific order and alliances emphasized by Trump are largely consistent with the diplomatic policies of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Based on these common policy points, the Foreign Ministry intends to further strengthen cooperation with the coming second Trump administration through detailed policy coordination.”

During the press conference, a senior Foreign Ministry official addressed issues such as possible North Korea-U.S. dialogue, the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and South Korea’s foreign policy direction.

Regarding the possibility of North Korea-U.S. dialogue during the second Trump administration, the senior official said, "The important thing is that the U.S. talks with North Korea through a process that reflects our position, which is the most important prerequisite,” adding that “since the situation is uncertain at this point, we must keep all possibilities open and negotiate accordingly.”

On potential North Korea-U.S. denuclearization talks, the senior official said, “As opportunities for denuclearization negotiations decrease, it may seem as if the priority has been lowered, but this is a different story from actual policy movements,” clarifying that “there is no need to doubt the goal of denuclearization shared between South Korea and the U.S.”

The senior official also addressed whether Korea’s “value diplomacy” will continue under the new Trump administration to begin in January, with the U.S. President-elect having emphasized a national interest-centered “America-first” policy.

“Even if the United States emphasizes national interests under the banner of ‘America first,’ it is highly unlikely that they will move forward while ignoring basic geopolitical frameworks,” the senior official said. “The focus of consultations and cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. will be to adjust those policies that must be adjusted within the big picture, remain firm on what we can't do, and narrow any differences while doing so.”

An infographic titled ″Korea Matters to the U.S.,″ distributed by Seoul's Foreign Ministry [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

Regarding the issue of the South Korean government reviewing weapons support for Ukraine, given Trump's insistence that the war there will end soon, the official said there would be "policy coordination between South Korea and the United States.” He added, “We don’t see any need to change our foreign policy in a hurry at the moment.”

The senior officials also said South Korea was reviewing all possibilities related to the issue of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war captured in the war in Ukraine, explaining that those possibilities "are being considered under international law.”

On postwar South Korea-Russia relations, the senior official said Seoul would examine the circumstances after the conflict, adding that he was certain Seoul's diplomatic clout would grow after the shooting stopped.

The senior official also commented on a possible meeting between Yoon and Trump, alluding to the phone call between the two leaders immediately following Trump’s re-election.

The official added that “uncertainty” was a “crisis factor” for South Korea under a second Trump administration, while the possibility that “we can act faster if our interests align” was an “opportunity factor.”

Regarding China’s role in North Korea-Russia relations, the official said, “China has never explicitly taken further steps or done anything to intervene.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]