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Yesterday Prime Minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn had his first telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump since Trump took office. US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will visit Seoul on Thursday to discuss joint defense between the two countries. This demonstrates that relations between South Korea and the US are a priority for the Trump administration.

Trump’s foreign policy is built on an America-first foundation, with anti-China, pro-Russia and anti-Islam postures and a disdain for the EU. Trump already met with the UK, which has voted to withdraw from the EU, on Friday, and will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Feb, 10. The administration has prioritized its partnership with the UK in Europe and with Japan in East Asia. The alliance between South Korea and the US seems to be next on the list.

In the phone conversation with Hwang, Trump said that the US would stick with South Korea 100% at all times and that the relationship between the two countries would be better than ever. The remarks appear to be an attempt to reduce potential conflict over comments Trump made during the presidential election campaign about demanding an increase in cost sharing for US troops stationed in South Korea.

In truth, the relationship between the US and South Korea in regard to responding to North Korea has almost never been negative. However, taking the variable of China into consideration, this is not the case. The various controversies surrounding the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula and the strengthening of military cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan are all connected to China. It would not be wise to allow measures taken under the pretext of strengthening the US-South Korea alliance to become the seeds of new clashes. Balanced diplomacy is needed.

There are also surrounding conflicts hidden within the contents and form of the alliance between the US and South Korea, including the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea and the transfer of wartime operational control. In all matters, South Korea’s security depends on the US, so solutions are not easy to come by. In regard to the biggest current issue, the North Korea nuclear issue, South Korea cannot simply depend on the strengthening of current sanctions and pressure on North Korea and China‘s role, but must take the lead and work to find its own solution. This is also the case now that confrontation between the US and China is expected to intensify.

The US-South Korea alliance is important, but the alliance itself is not the goal. Considering the heaping conflicts caused by just taking in the Trump administration’s words alone, the alliance could become brittle. It is time to consider a favorable reestablishment of the alliance.

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