Why did Trump visit South Korea?

Donald Trump, the president of the United States of America, visited South Korea on 7 November, as the second stop in his twelve-day-long Asia tour. The main objectives of his visit were to discuss the North Korean situation and to urge a solution to the Korean crisis. This was the first official U.S. presidential visit in the past 25 years, and also the first visit by a foreign head of the state since the inauguration of Moon Jae-in last May. Therefore, prior to Trump’s arrival several serious preparations were made by the South Korean side.

Since hundreds of different South Korean organizations and civic groups called for protest before Trump’s arrival, the police were set to restrict street rallies, while certain areas were off limits during the visit around the presidential residence, the so-called Blue House. Aside from the groups supporting Trump and the presence of the U.S. military, and the ones that were asking for even harsher sanctions and pressure on the North, many Koreans were opposing the state visit. Due to Trump’s previous harsh comments and tweets, many were afraid that the North Korean regime will see Trump’s visit as a provocation. Days before the arrival of the U.S. president, people were marching in central parts of Seoul with signs saying “NO TRUMP, NO WAR”.

The president and his wife landed at the Osan Air Base around noon on Wednesday, and flew to Camp Humphreys right away, where Moon Jae-in, president of the Republic of Korea, greeted them in person, after which they had lunch together with the troops of both nations. Trump insisted on eating with them, and he expressed his gratitude for their service.

Afterwards, Trump and the First lady attended a welcoming ceremony at the presidential Blue House, where Trump attended meetings together with the South Korean president, and they also held a joint press conference. The two presidents agreed that they should handle the North Korean threat in an even stricter manner. Trump also assured Moon Jae-in, that the U.S. would provide South Korea with more military equipment, in order to ensure the security on the peninsula and to improve economic relations between the two nations.

Later that day, the presidential couple attended a state dinner, along with more than 100 high government officials and business leaders from both countries. Although this event was meant to further promote a peaceful cooperation between the two nations, the real intentions of the Korean side are questionable. The shrimp served at the dinner was caught alongside the coasts of Dokdo, an island that is still a subject of debate between South Korea and Japan. Furthermore, Lee Yong-soo, the 88-year-old former comfort woman who was forced to serve as a sex slave during the Japanese occupation, was also on the guest list. Why did South Korea openly provoke Japan at a state dinner organized for the American president? These actions indeed stirred anger in Japan.

On the second day of the state visit, Trump held a speech at the National Assembly. First, he congratulated South Korea for climbing “from total devastation to among the wealthiest nations on Earth.” He expressed his appreciation for the determination, hard work, and diligence of the South Korean people, those who “took the guidance in their own hands” and together they are able to reach the “miracle on the South.” He also emphasized that the Republic of Korea had always been a faithful ally and a friend to the U.S., which helped South Korea “far beyond any other country has ever had.” He further stated that the “miracle” ended at the demilitarized zone and described North Korea as a “hell no one deserves.” He explained in detail all the struggles and suffering that the North Korean people have to go through every day, for which he blamed the North Korean government. Trump called all nations to join forces against the North Korean regime, to deny it, and to give no support or supply to it. He declared that if people wanted peace, they had to stand strong at all times, and that “the time for excuses is over, it is time for strength.” He explained that the U.S. “does not seek conflict and confrontation” but it “will never run from it.” He assured South Koreans that the U.S. would continue to be supportive towards South Korea. His speech was interrupted many times by applause from the audience, which, at the end, was met with standing ovation.

In this speech, Trump talked about the relationships between the U.S. and the two Koreas in a slightly different manner: he did not only assure the audience about a strong alliance and trade relationships between the U.S. and South Korea in the future, but he also emphasized the importance of dialogue and the peaceful (but nevertheless strong) manner in handling the North Korean threat. Initially, Trump planned to send a stronger message to the North Korean regime in his speech, however, he followed his advisors’ suggestion and delivered a toned down version of it. This attitude surprised many of the South Koreans, because not so long ago Trump wanted to rethink the economic relations between the two countries, and he also wanted to deal with the North Korean problem in a more militaristic manner. Although Trump initially had the epithet of being a “madman” and  an “unpredictable politician”, after listening to his speech, many of the South Koreans were pleased to hear the opinion of the U.S. president, and they were pleased that Trump presented a positive picture about South Korea’s modern history as well as its future.

North Korea showed a measured response regarding the visit of the American president. There was no military provocations during his stay in South Korea. Even though the North Korean regime described Trump and his actions in a negative way, stating that the U.S. president is trying to turn the international community against them, they did this in a more reserved manner than before.

However, the main question remains: why did Trump travel to South Korea? There were no specific solutions presented for the North Korean nuclear issue, however, it was mentioned many times that it would be beneficial for both sides if South Korea would buy military equipment from the United States. Questions dealing with economic relations were also discussed. Although the political relations between the two countries seem to be improving, there are still many issues that the U.S. and South Korea should tackle in the future. 

Opening pic: Shutterstock