U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of former State Department official Alex Wong as deputy national security adviser has sparked speculation among experts and media in South Korea about its potential implications for the country.

Citing Wong's previous role in the U.S.-North Korea summit during the first term of the Trump administration, one South Korean media outlet said Trump's pick could be a harbinger of another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. As Trump said, Wong, who previously served as the deputy assistant secretary for North Korea, helped negotiate the Trump-Kim summit in his first term.

Another media outlet, however, interpreted the nomination differently. Based on Wong's previous remarks during a seminar held in Seoul, it forecast that there will be no major changes in the U.S. government's stance on the denuclearization of North Korea and that, therefore, the U.S. would never recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state. Meanwhile, Wong's previous career as global head of public affairs at Coupang was addressed in another media outlet to highlight his connection with South Korea.

Although these three media outlets' views are different, their reactions have one thing in common: South Korea is wary of a possible policy shift under Trump in his second term.

This is not the first time Korean media outlets and experts have tried to predict what will happen once Trump takes office in January. Whenever Trump unveiled his picks for U.S. national security adviser, state department secretary and other key post holders whose responsibilities include affairs of the two Koreas, experts here were quick to speculate about their possible role in South Korea-U.S. relations.

It's understandable that South Korea is keen to watch the U.S. president-elect's nominations of key post holders and interpret how they could impact South Korea. This is presumably what other countries also do around this sensitive time period because, like South Korea, they are also wary of a possible policy shift and its fallout on their bilateral relations with the U.S.

However, as always, hectic reactions won't help South Korea at all. Policymakers should stay cool and realistic when they analyze and draw up measures to prepare for Trump 2.0. There is a particular skill South Korea's policymakers and experts need to hone when preparing for the incoming U.S. administration: They should think like Trump.

What would matter most to President-elect Trump? How he would handle that?

Policymakers can start by answering these two questions and then navigate the options South Korea can choose.

Trump is expected to prioritize decoupling from China and will invest all his time and energy to make it happen. To live up to his commitment, he is expected to mobilize all political and diplomatic capital to counter China in trade and foreign policy.

Currently, the biggest challenge is the war in Ukraine as the U.S., like the European Union, is pitted against Russia. Trump will want to end this situation and is expected to push for a cease-fire deal.

Although a bumpy road is ahead, a cease-fire deal, if signed, will benefit South Korea, too. If the war in Ukraine ends, North Korea's dangerous military cooperation with Russia will slow down.

This shared interest shows what's good for the U.S. can also benefit South Korea. There will be more areas where the two sides can find mutual gains. The question is then which side is primarily responsible for seeking out new areas of cooperation and suggesting the allies work together. As an old Korean saying suggests, people who are thirsty are supposed to initiate to dig a well. And this time, the one that needs to dig a well is South Korea. Policymakers need to be creative and think outside the box to find what those new areas of cooperation will be.

The writer is a member of The Korea Times editorial board.