【By Observer Net, Yuan Jiaqi】
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's first visit to the United States was already under a lot of pressure from the start.
On the local time of the 25th, just hours before he arrived at the White House, US President Trump suddenly posted on social media, shouting, "What's going on in South Korea? It looks like a purge or a revolution. We can't do business there while these things are happening. I will meet the new president at the White House today. Thank you all for your attention!!!"
At that time, the specific meaning of Trump's statement was not clear. Some American media speculated that this might be another habitual method of Trump to use the political situation in South Korea to exert pressure on South Korea.
South Koreans indeed seemed a bit panicked. On Monday night, during an event at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Yoon admitted that before the meeting with Trump, Trump had made a highly threatening online post, "My aides were very worried that we might encounter a 'Zelenskyy moment'."
He referred to the awkward "scene" in February when the Ukrainian president had a heated argument with Trump and US Vice President Vance in the Oval Office. This comment caused a wave of laughter in the audience.
Yoon then added that unlike the general panic of the members of his delegation, he was confident that a similar situation would not occur. He said that before the visit, he had specifically read Trump's book "The Art of the Deal" to understand the other party's negotiation strategy.
"President Trump mentioned in his book that there is a technique in negotiations: first propose conditions that are difficult to accept to the opponent, but finally make no unreasonable decisions," Yoon said. "I observed that he also follows this pattern when negotiating with other countries. In addition, the importance of the Republic of Korea-US alliance makes me sure that he will not take actions that harm the alliance."
Although the two sides did not issue a joint statement after the meeting nor announced any "major achievements," Yoon was very satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, considering it "exceeded expectations." He said, "Overall, the results of the meeting were very good. Many people had advised me to 'be patient,' and now it seems that patience was worth it."
The South China Morning Post cited the evaluation of senior researcher Zack Cooper from the American Enterprise Institute, which stated, "In general, both sides avoided any major rupture in relations, but beyond that, it's hard to say they achieved more."
Video screenshot
According to "Politico" on the 25th, Yoon revealed at a think tank event that the key topics of his meeting with Trump focused on two issues: strengthening economic ties between the United States and South Korea, and promoting the modernization of the bilateral alliance according to the changing security situation, making it "more reciprocal and forward-looking."
However, Yoon remained vague about the details of the US-South Korea trade agreement. According to the agreement, the United States will impose a 15% tariff on South Korean products exported to the US, while South Korea has pledged to invest over $350 billion in the US and purchase an additional $100 billion in energy products.
Trump had previously hinted at the possibility of renegotiating some parts of the agreement on Monday in the Oval Office. However, later that afternoon, he clearly stated that the US would not compromise.
"They have some objections to the agreement, but we stick to our own views," Trump told reporters. "The agreement must be implemented as previously agreed, and they will abide by their commitments."
On the day of the meeting, news of South Korean companies investing in the US also emerged. Amazon announced that it would collaborate with South Korean companies and startups X-energy to promote a small nuclear reactor project in the US, with an investment of $5 billion; Boeing and General Aerospace Company signed a $5 billion agreement with Korean Air, under which Korean Air will purchase 103 Boeing aircraft.
According to Reuters on the 26th, the South Korean presidential office stated that although the summit between the leaders of the United States and South Korea did not reach consensus on the unresolved details of the tariff agreement, Yoon confirmed that he would increase South Korea's defense spending and take on a more important role in responding to changes in regional political situations, although the specific content was not disclosed.
On the same day, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea revealed that 11 non-binding agreements had been signed between South Korean and American companies during Yoon's visit to the US, covering sectors such as shipbuilding, nuclear energy, aerospace, natural gas, and critical minerals.
Among them, cooperation in the shipbuilding sector was particularly prominent: Hyundai Heavy Industries reached an agreement with the Korea Development Bank and Sabre Capital to jointly establish a joint investment fund worth tens of billions of dollars to enhance the maritime capabilities of the US and its allies, covering areas such as shipbuilding, marine logistics infrastructure, and advanced marine technology; Samsung Heavy Industries established a partnership with Vickers Marine Group, covering maintenance and repair of US Navy vessels, modernization of shipyards, and joint shipbuilding projects.
According to reports, as early as the tariff negotiations in July, South Korea had proposed a comprehensive plan called "Revitalizing the US Shipbuilding Industry," part of which aimed to help US shipyards achieve modernization. South Korean government officials had previously stated that this plan was crucial for the informal trade agreement between the two countries.
Yoon also emphasized in his speech on Monday night: "The world-class South Korean shipbuilding industry will drive the revival of the US shipbuilding industry and create a new historic turning point for the common prosperity of the two countries."
According to South Korea's commitment to invest $350 billion in the US, the shipbuilding industry is one of the most concrete investment areas, with a special allocation of $15 billion.
On Tuesday (26th) local time, Yoon also visited Philadelphia, where he toured a large US shipyard acquired by the Korean Hanwha Group last year. Hanwha Group revealed that it plans to invest $5 billion to upgrade the shipyard, adding two dry docks and three piers, increasing annual production from less than two ships to a maximum of 20 ships.
In his speech at the shipyard, Yoon stated, "The 'Revitalizing the US Shipbuilding Industry' plan I proposed to President Trump is not only a vision for building large warships and cutting-edge vessels, but also a grand action to reclaim lost dreams."
However, experts, industry professionals, and South Korean officials pointed out that achieving this goal still requires a lot of effort. Steve SK Jeong, head of Hanwha Ocean's naval vessel global business, previously admitted, "I think the US shipbuilding industry has long lacked competitive pressure, not only having outdated facilities but also a shortage of skilled workers."
South Korean industry professionals told Reuters that training local workers may take 4 to 5 years, and currently it is difficult to recruit people willing to work in the high-intensity environment of shipyards. Steve added that Hanwha is striving to implement the project by advancing facility modernization, training workers, and introducing efficient production processes.
Local time August 26, Yoon gave a speech at the shipyard in Philadelphia. South Korean media video screenshot
Yoon's remarks regarding China during his visit to the US also attracted widespread attention. During a speech at a think tank event on the 25th, Yoon said that unlike in the past, South Korea cannot continue to follow the so-called "security with the US and economy with China" approach. The term "security with the US and economy with China" refers to South Korea's security cooperation with the US and economic cooperation with China, aiming to "play both sides" between the two countries.
Yoon said that before the US strongly constrained China and even adopted a policy of blocking China, South Korea indeed adhered to the "security with the US and economy with China" approach. In recent years, international society has seen supply chain reorganization, and the US has clearly taken a containment stance toward China. As a result, South Korea could only act and make judgments within the framework of the US's basic policies.
He pointed out that while the US and China form a competitive or even confrontational relationship, they also cooperate in certain areas, which is an undeniable fact. The Republic of Korea and China are geographically close, and South Korea is committed to properly handling unavoidable issues between the two countries and maintaining the bilateral relationship.
Reuters mentioned that Yoon hopes to establish a balanced cooperation path with the US while avoiding angering South Korea's largest trading partner, China. Just on the day Yoon set off for the US, a special envoy team led by former South Korean National Assembly Speaker Park Pyung-soo arrived in Beijing, not only delivering a personal letter from Yoon to China, but also clearly expressing the demand to "promote the resumption of the China-South Korea relationship and strengthen economic and trade cooperation."
Additionally, the current speaker of the South Korean National Assembly, Lee Won-ho, will attend the commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3rd.
Observer Net columnist Chang Luo Wen believes that this arrangement superficially avoids the narrowing gap between the US and China, but actually misses a major opportunity to rewrite South Korea's history, stating, "A small trick cannot solve a big problem. After all, whether the South Korean president visits the US and Japan first or visits China first has no substantial impact on China."
Observer Net columnist and doctoral candidate Li Chengri from the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzed that before taking office, Yoon emphasized pragmatic and balanced diplomacy, and now inevitably takes a certain balance between the US and China. Since the Republic of Korea-US alliance is the cornerstone of South Korea's foreign policy, he visited the US first. However, the movement of sending a special envoy delegation to China at the same time also shows that South Korea, although valuing the Republic of Korea-US alliance, will not ignore the relationship with China. But the key lies in how Yoon expresses himself on China-related issues during his visit to the US, which needs further tracking and observation.
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