Korean gov't gearing up for diplomatic push with new US president

U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the second presidential debate in Nashville, Tenn., Oct. 22. / AFP-Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

The government is bracing up for a post- presidential election scenario to seek to deepen its ties with the United States, given that depending on who wins, foreign policy toward the Korean Peninsula is likely to take a hugely different path.

The race for the White House began, Tuesday (local time), pitting President Donald Trump against former Vice President Joe Biden.

Considering the U.S. influence on Korea's diplomatic and security issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formed a massive taskforce led by First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun, to gauge American public opinion toward each candidate and formulate Seoul's response to the election outcome. The Korean Embassy in the U.S. also has an official in charge of overseeing a team monitoring the election.

One of the primary issues that heads of states around the world could face would be when to have phone talks with the president-elect of the U.S., with each country competing to get front places in the queue, while the Moon Jae-in administration is bracing up for the competition after the election.

When Trump was elected the 45th U.S. president in 2016, then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talked with Trump earlier than then-President Park Geun-hye. In addition, Abe became the first foreign leader to meet Trump when visiting New York and discuss future policies between the two countries, one week after the election.

In that connection, the bilateral ties between Japan and the U.S. were highly regarded, while Abe was in office. Abe quit in September due to health problems.

"The government may seek to have a phone conversation between President Moon and the U.S. president-elect earlier than Japan," a government official said.

Right after the election result comes, the Korean Embassy in the U.S. will play a major role in contacting the winning side.

Should Trump be reelected, the embassy will continue cooperating with officials of the current U.S. administration, but in the event of a Biden win, it plans to approach Democratic Congress members and their aides. During the election campaign, the Biden camp never met with representatives from other countries, and the embassy is expected to reach out to Biden's side by using those linked to the Democratic Party or groups of overseas Koreans if the former vice president is victorious.

The government is also likely to take advantage of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha's planned trip to the U.S. that could be made as early as next week. Kang has accepted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's invitation to the U.S. for ministerial talks after the American diplomat canceled his trip to Korea in October due to Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.

Given the importance of the timing of her trip, the foreign minister may also try to reach out to the Biden camp.

"While respecting the current administration, she may hold a meeting with Democratic Party officials to explain the Korean government's stance on pending bilateral issues," a government source said.

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