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US President Donald Trump speaks after being inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025. (Reuters/Yonhap)

Emerging victorious in the last presidential election under the slogans of “America First” and “Make America Great Again,” Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States of America on Monday. Throughout the next four years, Trump will likely mobilize the immense strength of the US to pressure various adversaries and partners into extracting deals that benefit the US, irrespective of the industry or who he’s negotiating with, focusing on maximizing the national interest. 

South Korea, which is still wading through the chaos caused by the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, looks to become an easy target for Trump, who believes all he has to do is twist Korea’s arm a tad for it to cough up the dough he’s asking for. For the sake of our core national interests, the ruling and opposition parties must work together with the government to draft robust and thorough countermeasures. 

At noon on Monday (2 am, Jan. 21, KST) at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, Trump laid one hand on the Bible and said the oath of office. After making over 40 pledges of what he’d do during his first day in office, jokingly saying he’d be a dictator only on Day 1, the world has its eyes on what Trump will actually put into practice. According to reports from major US media outlets, Trump is likely to prioritize the deportation of undocumented migrants within US borders, pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement, and forbidding trans athletes from participating in women’s sports — measures that do not require amendments to statues and will not cause diplomatic complications. 

Perhaps the most eyes are on tariffs, something that would directly impact the South Korean economy. Trump has suggested placing a universal tariff between 10% to 20% on Mexico, 25% on Canada, and 60% on China. This would drastically reduce world trade, and South Korea would have to shoulder major losses. 

After that, measures related to national security are likely to come to the fore. As far as South Korea is concerned, Trump will likely push to renegotiate the terms of an agreement made between South Korea and the Biden administration in October concerning South Korea’s financial contributions to US Forces Korea between 2026 and 2030. Trump is expected to demand that South Korea increase its share. He may also bring up the option of reducing US troop presence in Korea, which currently stands at 28,500, while redefining USFK’s role as containing China. He could also push for renewed negotiations with North Korea in a way that acknowledges North Korea as a nuclear state. 

Trump has displayed deference to strong opponents and viciousness to weak ones. In a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a strongman, on Friday, Trump expressed a willingness to negotiate regarding a US ban on TikTok and other key bilateral issues. When dealing with weaker nations like Canada, Denmark and Panama, he is more unilateral in his disregard for their concerns. At this pace, South Korea will receive the same treatment. We need to come up with an emergency response, fast. 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]