[Trump Again] Overturned and Shaken... Just 4 Days Away

The stronger Trump 2.0 has returned. Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on the 20th (local time), is expected to once again shake up the existing order from global diplomacy and security to trade and industrial landscapes by putting ‘America First’ at the forefront.

Yonhap News

One of the differences from his first term is the ‘speed war.’ Having warned that he would become a ‘dictator’ within the first 24 hours of his term, he is expected to unleash around 100 executive orders immediately upon entering the White House, including high tariffs, deportation of illegal immigrants, and border closures. This reflects a calculation to realize a significant number of campaign promises early in his term when policy momentum is strong. The reason behind excluding all so-called ‘adult supervision’ military generals who could restrain his decisions and staffing the second administration entirely with ‘loyalists’ is also due to this. It is essentially a declaration that he will wield virtually unlimited power.

He will also overturn many policies pursued by the Joe Biden administration over the past four years. Not only will he immediately withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, which the Biden administration rejoined, but the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act (CSA) are also expected to be repealed or scaled back. Trump, who has declared that he will revert everything in all fields to ‘pre-Biden’ times, is also openly attacking progressive values such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Political Correctness (PC). This is likely to lead to legal and political battles and further deepen social divisions within the United States.

Externally, ‘isolationism’ and ‘expansionism’ are anticipated, where even allies may be labeled as enemies if it serves America’s interests. The stance of prioritizing American interests while abandoning the role of the ‘world police’ that protects alliances and democracy remains the same as in his first term but with greater intensity. Trump recently stated that he would not rule out economic or military coercion to secure control over the Panama Canal and Greenland.

South Korea, which is highly dependent on external relations, is also fully exposed to the Trump risk amid the swirling international order. Immediate pressures such as high tariffs and increased defense cost-sharing are expected, and with the leadership vacuum caused by an emergency martial law situation, there are ongoing concerns that South Korea is not adequately prepared for this Trump risk. Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Asia Economy Newspaper plans to examine the diplomatic, security, economic, and industrial trade policy directions of the second administration, the key figures leading them, and the impact on South Korea in a total of four installments.