First Press Conference After Presidential Election Victory
"Dialogue with Russia and Ukraine to End Ukraine War"
Kim Jong-un "A Person Doing Well"... Possibility of Direct Dialogue
Chairman Son Jeong-ui Announces $144 Trillion Investment Plan in the U.S.
Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, reaffirmed his intention to impose high tariffs by stating at his first press conference after winning the presidential election on the 16th (local time) that "tariffs will make America wealthy." He also expressed his willingness to engage in talks with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to end the Ukraine war. Regarding Kim Jong-un, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea who deployed troops to Russia, Trump referred to him as "another person I get along well with," leading to analysis that he may be leaving the door open for direct North Korea-US dialogue.
Trump: "Tariffs Will Make America Wealthy"... Suggests Introduction of 'Ten-for-One Rule'
At a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, where he resides, President-elect Trump stated, "They tax us, and we tax them," and argued, "If tariffs are used properly, they can make America wealthy while maintaining reciprocal relationships with other countries."
He referred to the steel tariffs imposed during his first term, saying, "If I hadn't imposed tariffs of over 50% on China or other countries, they would have continued dumping (selling at low prices)," and added, "I imposed tariffs and stopped it, and we also earned huge revenues."
Earlier, during his candidacy, Trump had announced plans to impose universal tariffs of 10-20% on all imports worldwide and 60% tariffs on Chinese imports, reaffirming his intention to impose high tariffs.
He also emphasized his willingness to deregulate. President-elect Trump explained, "From day one of my inauguration, I will swiftly implement a series of bold reforms to fully restore America's prosperity," and added, "For every new regulation created, we will eliminate ten existing ones, and we are preparing to drastically reduce job-killing regulations." Previously, during his first term, he implemented the 'two-for-one rule,' which eliminated two existing regulations for every new one introduced. He hinted at introducing a 'ten-for-one rule' in his second term to significantly intensify regulatory reform.
Reaffirming Will to End Ukraine War... Again Shows Familiarity with North Korea's Kim Jong-un
Referring to the Ukraine war as "the most horrific massacre since World War II," he reiterated his intention to engage in talks with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict.
President-elect Trump emphasized, "We will talk with Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine," adding, "We have to stop this, and I am doing my best to stop it." Regarding President Zelensky, he said, "He must be ready to make a deal," and "Too many people are dying."
He said, "You can say they want to get back the land taken by Russia, but the cities have been completely destroyed," and added, "Looking at the cities, not a single building remains; what can be reclaimed?" He also said, "It will take 110 years to rebuild (Ukraine)." Bloomberg interpreted this remark as suggesting that Trump may sharply reduce or even stop support for Ukraine.
He criticized President Joe Biden for allowing the use of long-range missiles provided by the U.S. to Ukraine to attack Russian territory, saying it brought North Korean troops into the war. President-elect Trump stated, "We should not allow missiles to be launched from 200 miles (about 320 km) away from Russia," and added, "That is a bad thing and has brought in North Korean soldiers."
Regarding Chairman Kim, he said, "He is another person I get along well with," and criticized, "A few weeks before I took office, (the Biden administration) did something they shouldn't have done and made a very big mistake." Analysts suggest that this leaves open the possibility of direct North Korea-US talks in his second term, as in his first.
President-elect Trump did not disclose whether he had spoken with President Putin after his election victory. However, he repeated his previous statement, "If I had been president, that war would never have happened."
He also indicated that President Zelensky was not invited to the inauguration ceremony scheduled for January 20 next year. Trump said, "If he wants to come, I would like to bring him," but added, "I did not invite him."
He also announced his intention to consider pardoning New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted in September on corruption charges including illegal campaign contributions. Recently, Mayor Adams met with Tom Homan, who was appointed as the 'Border Czar' in Trump's second administration, and pledged cooperation on deporting illegal immigrants, leading to speculation that the pardon consideration might be in exchange for this cooperation.
Japan's SoftBank Announces $100 Billion Investment in the U.S.... "Creating 100,000 Jobs"
The event was planned to announce the $100 billion (approximately 144 trillion won) investment plan in the U.S. by Masayoshi Son, Chairman of Japan's SoftBank Group, but it effectively became Trump’s first press conference after his election victory as he engaged in various Q&A sessions with reporters. Son announced that over four years, SoftBank will invest $100 billion to build artificial intelligence (AI) and related infrastructure, creating 100,000 jobs. Previously, SoftBank had announced plans to invest $50 billion (approximately 72 trillion won) during Trump's first term in 2016, creating 50,000 jobs.
President-elect Trump said, "He (Son) is doing this because he is very optimistic about America after the election," and added, "This historic investment is a monumental event that shows confidence in America's future and will help AI, emerging technologies, and other future technologies be developed and made in America." He also mentioned a series of meetings with CEOs of big tech companies such as Apple and Alphabet, Google's parent company, emphasizing, "During my first term, everyone fought against me, but this time everyone wants to be my friend."
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