Analysis: South Korea's anxiety regarding Trump and North Korea
South Korea views the potential of a self-interested Trump-Kim deal as a significant security and geopolitical concern…
Event or Trend: There is growing South Korean concern that Donald Trump will negotiate with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to accept North Korea's nuclear arsenal in exchange for halting its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
Significance: South Korea views the potential of a self-interested Trump-Kim deal as a significant security and geopolitical concern. This is critical for South Korea, which faces a direct existential threat from its northern neighbor, and also for regional partners - in tacitly recognizing North Korea's nuclear capabilities, such an agreement could undermine the decades-long non-proliferation framework and embolden other nuclear-armed states. Policymakers and business leaders need to consider the broader ramifications: a destabilized Northeast Asia risks disrupting trade routes, supply chains, and alliances, especially between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. South Korea must navigate its strategic relationships carefully to ensure its security…