▲ Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during an Interagency meeting of foreign, industry and finance ministers at the central government complex in Seoul on Nov. 7, 2024. (Yonhap)

FM-US alliance

Trump's focus on allies' security contributions aligns with S. Korea's foreign policy vision: FM

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- The foreign policy focus of the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump "aligns closely" with South Korea's vision of taking responsibilities as a leading country, Seoul's top diplomat said Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remark as Seoul is preparing to face the second Trump term following his election win last week, amid a slew of security and economic challenges lying ahead, including North Korea's troop deployment to Russia in support of the war against Ukraine.

"President-elect Trump's policy direction emphasizes the importance of allies contributing to security," Cho said in a press conference in Seoul. "This aligns closely with our vision of Korea as a global pivotal state, fulfilling responsibilities that meet our national power and status."

Cho said that South Korea and the United States have institutionalized minilateral cooperation with countries like Japan, calling it one of the favorable external conditions that have been created to bolster alliances.

"I am confident that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will remain strong and continue to strengthen under a second Trump administration," he said.

Cho also noted that the first Trump administration was the first such U.S. government that advanced the Indo-Pacific strategy, a vision that also aligns with the diplomacy under the Yoon Suk Yeol government.

"The vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific order and strong alliances emphasized through this strategy aligns considerably with the Yoon government's diplomatic stance," he added.

"Our ministry intends to build on these shared policies to enhance cooperation through close policy coordination with a second Trump administration," Cho said.

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