Trump back to 'America First'...International order and Korea-U.S. relations 'shaken'

[Anchor]
With the return of U.S. President Donald Trump in the new year of 2025, the world is concerned about the repercussions of "America First" that will begin again.

Concerns are also growing over the Korea-U.S. relationship, which is being disrupted by the impeachment, along with the prospect of tariffs and trading diplomacy shaking the international order.

This is Washington correspondent Hong Sang-hee.

[Reporter]
The biggest concern is tariffs.

Trump also forewarned additional tariffs on Mexico and Canada, following universal tariffs on the world and high tariffs of 60% on Chinese imports.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President-elect (November last year): If we don't stop criminals and drugs from entering the U.S., we will inform (the president of Mexico) that we will immediately impose a 25% tariff on all goods they send to the U.S. on their first day in office or soon.]

There are many analyses that it is a bargaining card to reduce the trade deficit, but if this is realized, there are concerns that the free trade order could collapse along with the tariff war.

There will also be major changes in U.S. foreign policy.

It seems clear that the Biden administration will shift from value diplomacy, which values maintenance of international order and relations with allies, to transactional-oriented diplomacy for the benefit of the United States.

Starting with Trump's inauguration on the 20th, the international order is expected to change rapidly to a multipolar system with a U.S. advantage.

Korea is also facing a situation of 'internal and external exchange'.

As Trump, who pledged to end the war in Ukraine early, mentioned the role of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, there are also concerns about "Korea passing" in the process of promoting the North Korea-U.S. dialogue.

[Victor Cha / CSIS Korea Chair at the U.S. Institute for Strategic and International Studies: (Korea's) leadership vacuum is also a big problem. Everything that can only be done through the foreign minister or the head of the national security office will not work under the Trump administration.]

Trump's return comes as a major challenge, especially as the possibility of linking security issues such as defense cost sharing with economic policies such as tariffs and semiconductor subsidies has emerged.

While the U.S.-oriented foreign policy is expected to be pursued in the future, some point out that Korea should focus its diplomatic power on the Trump administration not to drive on pending issues such as defense cost sharing amid unfavorable conditions of lack of leadership.

I'm Hong Sang-hee from Washington.