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US President Donald Trump talks to reporters in front of the White House on July 19. (AP/Yonhap News)

Amid an escalating conflict in Northeast Asia over Japan’s retaliatory export controls on South Korea, US President Donald Trump announced that he could intervene, but only if both countries want him to. Trump also hinted at the challenge of doing so by saying that “getting involved” in this issue would be “like a full-time job.”

When a reporter brought up the issue during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing, held at the White House on July 19, Trump agreed that “Yeah, there is ongoing tension between Japan and Korea” and then immediately brought up a conversation he’d had with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

“In fact, the President of Korea asked me if I could get involved. I said, ‘How many things do I have to get involved in?’ I’m involved with [helping with] North Korea. [. . .] You know, I’m involved in so many different things,” Trump said.

When asked to comment, the Blue House noted that Moon had asked Trump to “take an interest” in the South Korea-Japan conflict during the South Korea-US summit on June 30. “President Moon made this remark as part of his diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue. At the time, the Japanese press had been constantly reporting the possibility of punitive economic measures,” Blue House spokesperson Ko Min-jung told reporters in a text message on July 20.

Trump went on: “Japan has some things that South Korea wants, and [Moon] asked me to get involved. So maybe if they would both want me to, I’ll be [involved].”

“It’s like a full-time job getting involved between Japan and South Korea,” Trump said. Getting proactively involved in mediating between the two countries, Trump’s remark implied, would be extremely difficult, requiring all of his time. This could also be interpreted as meaning that Trump would expect some kind of quid pro quo from Japan and South Korea if he does indeed get involved.

“But I like both leaders. I like President Moon. And you know how I feel about Prime Minister Abe. He’s a very special guy, also. So if they need me, I’m there. Hopefully they can work it out,” Trump said.

This was the first time that Trump had referred directly to the South Korea-Japan dispute, which was escalated by Japan’s tightening of export controls. But Trump’s caveat about “if they [. . .] both want me to” and his remark about involvement being “like a full-time job” appear to mean that he wants the parties concerned to sort things out themselves, rather than that he’ll be immediately wading into the dispute in an official capacity.

In a related development, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton set out on a trip to Japan and South Korea on July 20 and is scheduled to meet Blue House National Security Director Chung Eui-yong on July 24.

By Hwang Joon-bum, Washington correspondent, and Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

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