[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Claims have emerged that former U.S. President Donald Trump did not believe that the U.S. Forces Korea or missiles deployed in South Korea would help make the United States safer.
According to "A Very Stable Genius," recently published by Washington Post (WP) reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, President Trump made skeptical remarks regarding the stationing of U.S. Forces Korea during an internal briefing in July 2017. At that time, Trump reportedly said, "The U.S. Forces Korea or the missile defense systems deployed in South Korea do not make Americans safer."
Regarding this, the authors introduced that President Trump argued that South Korea should bear the $10 billion (11.8 trillion won) cost of the missile defense system constructed in South Korea.
Similar claims appeared in another book earlier. In "Fear: Trump in the White House," authored by journalist Bob Woodward, who reported on the Watergate scandal, there is a scene where then U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis tries to persuade President Trump about the necessity of U.S. Forces Korea. In January 2018, Mattis explained to Trump that "we are doing this (stationing U.S. Forces Korea) to prevent World War III."
Additionally, the book mentions that President Trump was confident that the North Korean nuclear issue could be resolved solely through negotiations with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. Trump reportedly stated, "This is all leader to leader, human to human, Trump to Kim." The book also includes stories about Trump urging his aides to expedite the schedule for the first North Korea-U.S. summit with Kim Jong-un.
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