S. Korea-US alliance to remain 'very solid' regardless of American election outcome

Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of the conservative Washington think tank Heritage Foundation, speaks during an interview in Gangnam District, Seoul, Aug. 27. Yonhap

The decadeslong alliance between South Korea and the United States is expected to remain "very solid" regardless of the outcome of the American presidential election in November, the vice president of the conservative Washington think tank Heritage Foundation said Tuesday.

"In many ways, it will stay very, very solid, and there will be a continuity," Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of the foundation, said in an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul when asked of any possible changes in bilateral relations after the U.S. election.

He added, "It's on a very strong footing now and was, for particularly the second half of President Trump's first term. And that carried over into the Biden administration, where the importance of South Korea, Japan the U.S. all working together has been a huge step forward for the alliance."

Morgan, who previously worked at the White House under U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney during the George W. Bush administration, was visiting South Korea at the invitation of the Korea International Trade Association.

"I think the biggest question mark is probably how trade policy unwinds, or how it advances," Morgan assessed, adding, "It's just a matter of how President Trump wants to be more aggressive in competing with China (if elected)."

On economic ties between the two countries, Morgan said there was "huge growth" in the U.S. market for Korean products.

"I think, particularly as you look at Kia, Hyundai and Genesis, they're just exploding in their market penetration (in the U.S.)," Morgan said.

He highlighted that South Korea's strong investments in the U.S. manufacturing infrastructure in particular is helping American consumers feel even better about Korean products, as they know that Korean brands, such as Hyundai Motor Group vehicles, are actually manufactured in America.

Derrick Morgan, executive vice president of the conservative Washington think tank Heritage Foundation, speaks during an interview in Gangnam District, Seoul, Aug. 27. Yonhap

Morgan expected Trump, if elected, to likely use negotiation tactics involving "bluster around tariffs" to try to get some individual trade deals with other nations. "The Trump administration might be more active on getting free trade agreements. He (Trump) likes to make deals."

When asked whether North Korea would be high on the policy agenda of a supposed second U.S. Trump administration, Morgan suggested the former president would likely be more preoccupied with China.

"They (the Trump campaign) are really focused on winning the election, and that issue (of North Korea) probably doesn't sway many or any voters," he said.

Morgan also said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol "deserves a lot of credit" for setting up the groundwork for trilateral cooperation involving Japan despite the troubled and complex history between Seoul and Tokyo in the past.

When asked whether the Heritage Foundation sees the need for Seoul to increase its burden in the defense cost-sharing arrangement with Washington, Morgan said, "The conservative movement (in the U.S.) as a whole understands that there needs to be more burden sharing generally" among partner nations.

"We often hold up South Korea as a shining example of doing a good job carrying the burden. It has an extremely capable military. Spends well over 2 percent of gross domestic product," Morgan said.

He added, "Could they (Seoul) be doing more? Probably. Could we (Washington) be doing more? Probably. We have a very big challenge ahead of us and we have to be strong to deter any kind of hostile action."

When asked whether he could potentially serve in a key position in a supposed second Trump administration, Morgan said, "You always take it seriously if a president, vice president, a chief of staff or a Cabinet secretary designate calls and asks you to serve your country."

"I was fortunate to serve for four years for Vice President Cheney under the Bush administration. I admire both of those men (Bush and Cheney), and so you never say never," Morgan said, but added that such thought was not at the forefront of his mind. (Yonhap)