Divergences in South Korea’s Inter-Korean Policy and the Demilitarized Zone Problem

In the previous text, we examined the disagreements within Seoul’s inter-Korean policy. However, a number of conflicts that have spilled into the public revolve around contradictions between South Korea and the United States. These deserve separate discussion, as they could lead to the cooling of relations between the two countries.

It is reasonable that these internal contradictions in Korean policy are starting to raise questions in Washington as well. The commander of the US forces in Korea advocates for proceeding with exercises, and Kevin Kim, who served as acting US ambassador to South Korea up until January 2026, carried out a specific meeting with Minister Chung Dong-young, reminding him of the need to maintain sanctions pressure on the DPRK. For Washington, preserving and even strengthening sanctions is crucial for restarting dialogue with Pyongyang and maintaining leverage in future negotiations.

Furthermore, while President Lee in his statements abroad, especially during his visits to the US, emphasizes the alliance with America, domestically he, as a pragmatist and populist, often speaks in the spirit of the “strategic autonomy” faction, delaying decisions that might appear as concessions to Washington. The problem is that Donald Trump, a former real estate developer, closely watches his counterparts’ actions and does not hesitate to apply pressure if he sees partners failing to deliver on promises.

The “Trump Tariff” Problem

Analyzing the outcome of the US-ROK agreement, we pinpointed that Seoul agreed to terms unfavourable to South Korea, and that conservatives even demanded the agreement to be ratified in the National Assembly as one imposing heavy obligations on the country. This also implied that the agreement had a different status, and violating it would be a more serious transgression.

However, after signing the agreement, the ruling Democratic Party put the issue on hold, hoping for it to slip the minds of the Americans. As a result, on January 26, 2026, Donald Trump announced on social media that the US was raising reciprocal tariffs on South Korean-produced goods, including cars, lumber, and pharmaceuticals, from 15% to 25%. As the US........

© New Eastern Outlook