President Donald Trump’s foreign policy demonstrates remarkable consistency. He views allies not as communities sharing common values, but as business partners. When a deal goes sour, an invoice is promptly dispatched.
The latest focal point is the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump recently voiced his dissatisfaction with South Korea, Japan, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), publicly criticizing them for their lack of assistance.
On Monday, he highlighted the perilous situation of U.S. troops stationed near Kim Jong Un, emphasizing South Korea’s insufficient contributions.
The message is unambiguous: it’s a warning for failing to respond to requests for naval deployments to the Strait of Hormuz. This isn’t mere trivial complaining. The statement strongly suggests a buildup of justification for future pressure tactics.
President Trump has already leveraged almost every issue—mutual tariffs, defense costs, and technological cooperation—as bargaining chips. He threatened tariff hikes due to delays in South Korea’s special legislation for U.S. investment, while critical matters like nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear agreements remain stalled. Negotiations expected to commence at the year’s start haven’t even reached the table.
This pattern is all too familiar. Far from being unpredictable, it follows an excessively predictable trend. Since his first term, President Trump has consistently demanded greater financial and responsibility commitments from allied nations.
Is it adequately prepared? The South Korean government’s response to the Hormuz Strait deployment request was to distance itself, claiming no official request had been made. While this may have been an attempt to minimize obligations, such logic doesn’t fly in Trump’s diplomatic playbook. He judges based on actions, not paperwork.
A more pressing concern is the lack of consistency in responses. While the administration touts tailored diplomacy focusing on leader-to-leader relationships, there’s no visible strategy to counter structural pressures. There’s acknowledgment of because it’s Trump, but no evidence of it is prepared this way because it’s Trump.
The government maintained that no official request for troop deployment was received. However, diplomatic circles argue that proactive communication with the U.S. to redirect attention or explore alternative solutions should have been pursued.
Ultimately, diplomacy is about structures, not just relationships. President Trump’s recurring question is straightforward: who contributed what and how much? From this standpoint, South Korea’s approach remains defensive. It addresses issues reactively without a strategic framework for determining the extent of its contributions.
This gap will inevitably translate into costs, whether in the form of tariffs or delays in security cooperation. While the manifestations may vary, the essence remains unchanged. Diplomacy is about preparation, not reacting to events. If we continue with this reactive approach, the next invoice will arrive without warning. And ultimately, it’s the American public who will foot the bill.