U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports at the White House in Washington, Wednesday (local time). EPA-Yonhap
South Korea appears to be struggling to engage with the new U.S. administration amid a leadership crisis, raising concerns about the future of the alliance under President Donald Trump, who has already begun reshaping the international order in unpredictable ways.
Just a few weeks into his presidency, Trump has unsettled the international community with his unorthodox foreign policies, including tariff threats and controversial remarks on wishing to "take over" the Gaza Strip.
While his immediate focus remains on the Middle East and his trade war with China, the Korean Peninsula may soon come under Trump's radar. However, Seoul is in a tricky position with no effective leadership in place.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok has yet to hold a phone call with Trump, despite expressing a willingness to arrange a conversation soon after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. Choi assumed leadership in late December after the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration and the subsequent impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
Even considering South Korea's current acting leadership, the delay in contacting Trump is notably longer than during then President Park Geun-hye's impeachment crisis in 2017, when then-acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn spoke with Trump just 10 days after his inauguration.
"Arranging the phone call is still under discussion with the U.S. side," an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday, without providing further details.
Officials in Seoul are closely monitoring the Trump administration's approach to North Korea, as well as its tariff war with China, South Korea's largest trading partner. Adding to these concerns, Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and increased border security measures have caused alarm within the South Korean community in the United States.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul enters the ministry building in Seoul, Jan. 24. Yonhap
In an effort to establish ties with Washington, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is seeking to visit the U.S. as early as next week to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the foreign ministry. The two held their first phone conversation on Jan. 23, during which they agreed to meet at the earliest possible date.
However, a specific schedule has yet to be set.
"Discussions about a South Korea-U.S. foreign ministerial meeting are underway. I have no specific information to share at this point," ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said during a briefing, Thursday.
If the trip is delayed, Cho may instead have to meet Rubio on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, scheduled for Feb. 14 to 16.
Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to hold his first summit with Trump in Washington on Friday (local time).
Lim Eun-jeong, a professor of international relations at Kongju National University, warned that the upcoming Trump-Ishiba summit could pose diplomatic risks for Seoul.
"If Japan brings up the North Korean nuclear issue through the U.S.-Japan alliance, this may have some positive aspects for South Korea's security amid ongoing political turmoil. However, there is also a risk that this may weaken South Korea's leading role on the agenda or worse, we could be sidelined," Lim wrote in a recent column in the Hankook Ilbo newspaper.
"Given the difficulty for South Korea to make active diplomatic gestures at the moment, the country may be left with no choice but to follow the framework set by the U.S. and Japan," she said.