South Korea minister says Trump appears to be pressuring Seoul over Iran, investment

An anti-war protester at a rally calling for a halt to the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the US in front of the US Embassy in Seoul on Aug 17.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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SEOUL – South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Aug 19 that United States President Donald Trump’s order to curb joint military drills appeared aimed in part at pressuring Seoul to support US efforts in the Iran war, alongside other unresolved issues such as investment.

“I think President Trump’s message includes pressure over several pending issues concerning the South Korean government, as well as a message to North Korea and an intention by the United States to break a stalemate in the Iran war,” Cho said.

One potential source of friction could be South Korea’s pledge to invest US$350 billion (S$446 billion) in the US under a trade deal signed in 2025, Cho said.

Seoul has yet to announce details of the investment plan, although Cho said Washington had sent Seoul a proposal outlining projects that could be considered.

“We could not move faster on the investment plan as we had to consider factors such as commercial viability and take legal procedures,” Cho said. He cited other unexpected problems, without elaborating.

South Korea and the US announced on Aug 19 that they will shorten annual military drills to five days from 11 and scale back some field training, following Trump’s order on a substantial reduction in US participation.

South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who attended the same hearing, said he believes Trump was moving closer to potentially arranging a new meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by curtailing exercises that have long angered Pyongyang. REUTERS

source: The Straits Times https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-minister-says-trump-appears-to-be-pressuring-seoul-over-iran-investment?ref=top-stories