Donald Trump, the former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate, claimed that during his tenure he made "great deals" with South Korea, successfully negotiating the South Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing agreement (the portion of the cost for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea borne by South Korea) by leveraging the presence of U.S. forces in Korea. He also reiterated his close relationship with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, saying they "got along very well."
In an interview aired on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' on the 13th (local time), Trump said that Mexico, the European Union (EU), and others were taking advantage of the U.S., then stated, "I made a great deal with Japan. I also made a great deal with South Korea." He emphasized that during his administration, he used the U.S. forces in Korea as leverage in negotiations with South Korea, saying, "I told them (South Korea), 'There are 40,000 soldiers (U.S. troops in Korea) there, and they are in a dangerous situation.'" The actual number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is about 28,500.
Accordingly, there is speculation that if Trump wins the November presidential election, he may again push for the withdrawal or reduction of U.S. forces in Korea and demand South Korea increase its defense cost-sharing payments. Previously, during his administration, Trump demanded that South Korea increase its defense cost-sharing payments by 5 to 6 times compared to previous levels. The negotiations, which stalled without narrowing the gap in amounts, only found a compromise after the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in 2021. Earlier this month, the two governments agreed on the wording of the defense cost-sharing agreement to be applied from 2026 to 2030, but there are concerns that Trump may demand renegotiation if he returns to power.
On the same day, immediately after mentioning U.S. forces in Korea, Trump also spoke about Chairman Kim. He said, "(I) got along very well with (Kim Jong-un)" and claimed that if he had not been in power, a nuclear war between North Korea and the U.S. would have occurred.
He also hinted at the possibility of renegotiating the USMCA trade agreement among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Trump said, "We have been taken advantage of by Mexico, China, Canada, and the European Union (EU)," adding, "I want to make much better deals." Last week, in a speech in Detroit, he had already announced that he would notify Mexico and Canada of invoking the sixth-year renegotiation clause of the USMCA immediately upon taking office. At that time, he expressed a tough stance, saying he would impose large-scale tariffs of 100%, 200%, or even 1000% to prevent Chinese-made cars produced in Mexico from bypassing existing high tariff barriers and entering the U.S.
He also said that the last time he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "about two days ago." When asked whether Israel should attack Iran's nuclear facilities in retaliation for Iran's recent ballistic missile attacks, Trump said, "They (Iran) must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons," boasting that during his administration, the U.S. prevented various countries from purchasing Iranian oil. When asked if he would apply maximum pressure on Iran if re-elected, he replied, "I can't say that," adding, "I don't want to reveal what I will do in negotiations in advance."
When asked if he expects chaos in the November 5 election, he said, "No. Those who vote for Trump will not think so." Trump mentioned, "We have very bad people. Sick people. Radical left-wing lunatics," adding, "If necessary, the military can easily handle it." This remark recalls the January 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters. Amid growing concerns that if Trump loses this year's extremely close election, a repeat of the election refusal incident from four years ago could occur, he dismissed that possibility while shifting responsibility to the Democratic Party and other anti-Trump forces.
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