Lee Jong-eun

Has it really been only two months since U.S. President Donald Trump’s second inauguration? While significant policy changes were expected with the return of his presidency, many — including myself —were surprised by the scale and speed with which the Trump administration has pushed revisions of decades-long U.S. foreign policy, particularly in trade and security.

Europe and the Americas have mostly borne the first wave of policy changes under Trump’s second presidency. U.S. tariffs have increased on certain imports from Canada and Mexico, triggering retaliatory tariffs from both countries. Europe, facing challenges from raising U.S. aluminum and steel tariffs, faces security challenges from the threat of U.S. disengagement from Europe’s security deterrence from Russia. Furthermore, the Trump administration’s territorial pursuits in Greenland and Panama, along with its accelerated deportation of undocumented migrants, have impacted the political landscape across multiple regions in the Western Hemisphere.

South Korea has been more fortunate than other U.S. allies in mostly avoiding bilateral conflict with the Trump administration. One reason may be because Trump's administration has prioritized focusing on other global issues. Another reason could be that South Korea has been led by an interim government since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment in December, limiting its ability to engage in bilateral diplomacy with the United States. Paradoxically, the Trump administration may be postponing negotiations with South Korea until the country has a leader it considers a suitable diplomatic counterpart.

However, South........

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