▲ Alex Wong, former U.S. deputy national security adviser, speaks during a panel discussion at a forum hosted by the Sejong Institute, in Seoul, on April 2, 2026. (Yonhap)

S Korea-Trump policy

Trump's 'irrefutable' foreign policy rather means opportunity to boost S. Korea-U.S. alliance: ex-White House official

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, April 2 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's "irrefutable" unorthodox foreign policy approach toward allies could ironically mean an opportunity for South Korea to deepen its alliance with the United States beyond the security and military realms, a former White House official said Thursday.

Alex Wong, former U.S. deputy national security adviser, made the remarks, describing today's world as one in which the U.S. protects the rest of the world and a global economy centered on low trade barriers no longer works.

"It is definitely true and really irrefutable that he has a certain strategic boldness that you have not seen in America or from other presidents," Wong, global chief strategy officer of Hanwha Group, said at the forum hosted by the Sejong Institute.

Wong said that some 25-year period, from the fall of the Soviet Union to Trump's 2026 election, in fact marked a unique moment in world history, a departure from "what the normal strategic landscape usually is,"

"We can't live in the 1990s," he said, citing the changes in the international landscape, such as China's rise and Russia's aggression.

"This is why President Trump's approach has resonance ... Countries understand that some barriers need to be raised to bring back manufacturing. There is resilience in this new strategic order."

"I think it's warranted," Wong added.

The shifting world order provides South Korea with an opportunity to elevate and diversify the nature of its alliance with the U.S., particularly in the industry sectors.

"This is an opportunity for the U.S.-Korea alliance to take advantage of the strengths that Korea has developed, away from just security and military alliance, but towards one that is focused on shared technology, building industrial resilience," he said.

On growing concerns over the economic impact from the Middle East crisis, Wong noted that the current trend of oil and stock markets, although downward, the disruptions have not been as grave as those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic or the global financial crisis in the late 2000s.

"The effects have been surprisingly moderate," he said, attributing it to Trump's ability to execute strategies, such as through military actions, as well as Washington's diversification efforts to enhance energy security.

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