Trump’s fixation with tariffs ignores strategic considerations with Seoul

By: Seo Ji-Eun | Korea JoongAng Daily |

The Donald Trump administration’s tariff offensive and shifting defense priorities are raising alarm among former U.S. officials, who warn that the South Korea-U.S. alliance may be reshaped without sufficient bilateral consultation.

Randall Schriver, a former senior Pentagon official under the first Trump administration, criticized the lack of strategic dialogue with Seoul, noting that Washington’s current focus is “taken up with tariffs and tariff relief.”

His concerns echo broader fears among U.S. security experts like Victor Cha and Bruce Bennett that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) may be increasingly reoriented toward Indo-Pacific contingencies like Taiwan, rather than its traditional deterrence role on the Korean Peninsula.

Read the full article on Korea JoongAng Daily.