Yoon expects 'good chemistry' with Trump

People at Seoul Station watch President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised press conference, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Two sides agree in 1st phone call to meet soon By Lee Hyo-jin President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed confidence that he will get along well with U.S.

President-elect Donald Trump, Thursday, downplaying concerns that Trump’s return could strain bilateral relations. Yoon anticipated having "good chemistry" with Trump, suggesting they could connect on a personal level. "I have met many members of the U.



S. Congress from both parties and former aides to (former) President Trump at multilateral meetings. They’ve been telling me — though I’m not sure on what basis — that he and I would have good chemistry," the president said during a televised press conference.

"I think they might be referring to the fact that I also entered politics later in my career (like Trump), following my career as a prosecutor," he added. "In any case, I have built strong ties with former high-ranking officials from the Trump administration and influential Republican members who have assured me they would help establish a solid bridge with President-elect Trump. So, I don’t foresee any major issues in working together.

" The press conference, held one day after Trump’s sweeping U.S. presidential election victory, focused largely on how the Yoon administration plans to navigate relations with the incoming Trump administration.

The Republican’s reelection has reignited concerns in South Korea that Trump may once again take a "America first" approach to the alliance, as he previously did. During his initial term, Trump demanded hefty increases in defense cost-sharing and implemented protectionist trade policies favoring U.S.

interests. Yoon also mentioned that he had a phone conversation with the U.S.

president-elect just hours before the press conference. Congratulations to President-elect Trump 2024-11-07 17:05 Political parties express optimism over Trump's return 2024-11-07 17:06 | Politics The conversation lasted for 12 minutes, during which they discussed various topics, including the bilateral alliance and the trilateral partnership with Japan, as well as North Korean threats such as trash balloons and GPS jamming attacks. The two sides also agreed to meet in person at an early date, Yoon said.

Yoon expressed optimism that Trump would be willing to cooperate in addressing North Korean nuclear threats that have significantly escalated compared to his previous term in office. During his first term, Trump developed a rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, leading to two summits, though he left the 2019 Hanoi summit empty-handed. "I think Trump sought North Korea's denuclearization, but was largely disappointed by the outcome," the president said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump waves while walking off stage following early results of the presidential election at Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.

, Wednesday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap Yoon also touched on the recent drone saga between the two Koreas. North Korea claimed that South Korean military drones infiltrated Pyongyang and scattered anti-North Korean leaflets on three occasions in October.

The South Korean government refused to confirm this claim. "It is not worth responding to their absurd and unjust claims, which is why we have not issued related statements," he said. Beyond the Korean Peninsula, the president stressed that Trump's return would not affect the bolstered trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, a legacy of the Joe Biden administration.

"The change in the U.S. administration does not mean that everything will change 100 percent.

South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation is operating smoothly, and joint military exercises are ongoing," he said.

"I believe this direction will be maintained." Regarding support for Ukraine, Yoon reiterated his stance that South Korea could consider providing weapons to Kyiv depending on North Korean troops' activities in the war in support of Russia. “We will adjust our support in a phased approach based on the extent of North Korean troop involvement, which could entail moving beyond humanitarian and peace-oriented aid,” he said.

“We are not ruling out weapons support, though we will need to monitor the situation closely. If we do provide weapons, however, defensive equipment would be our priority.” Since news broke of North Korean troop deployment to the war in October, South Korea and Ukraine have been engaging in close communication regarding the troops' movements, with a Ukrainian special envoy expected to visit Seoul soon.

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