Trump will doubtless attempt to resume his relationship with Kim in his second time period.
This creates a state of affairs the place the United States, in its international coverage, favors a dictatorship over a treaty ally. This can be a extra notable change than the approaching abandonment of Ukraine, which isn’t a proper U.S. ally.
Trump additionally has an extended historical past of demanding US allies pay for American safety ensures. He has been notably excessive towards South Korea. Just final month, he described South Korea as a “cash machine,” saying he wished to multiply the price of stationing U.S. troops in South Korea ninefold.
Where NATO allies can collectively deal with Trump’s calls for, South Korea’s place is way harder. It is remoted in Northeast Asia. It faces three nuclear autocracies on its doorstep, and its relations with Japan are poor (as a consequence of historic grievances courting again to Japanese imperialism throughout World War II). He can be the one one towards Trump if he have been to behave as he did throughout his final presidency.
This might simply end in an alliance disaster. South Korea’s pro-alliance conservatives could also be prepared to accede to Trump’s big monetary demand to keep away from alliance fallout. But the general public response can be intense and the South Korean left, at present in opposition, would use it to criticize the federal government as weak and cowardly. South Korea’s present conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol,’s approval ranking is at an all-time low of simply 19%, which means he doubtless would not have the general public help to appease Trump.
