Trump's unorthodox approach to allies gives Korea opportunity to deepen alliance, says ex-U.S. official
Published: 02 Apr. 2026, 15:12
![Alex Wong, former U.S. deputy national security adviser, speaks during a panel discussion at a forum hosted by the Sejong Institute at Yonhap News Agency's headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 2. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/02/34384e97-3d94-49c1-a495-e7327fbfc429.jpg)
Alex Wong, former U.S. deputy national security adviser, speaks during a panel discussion at a forum hosted by the Sejong Institute at Yonhap News Agency's headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 2. [YONHAP]
U.S. President Donald Trump's "irrefutable" unorthodox foreign policy approach toward allies could give Korea an ironic opportunity to deepen its alliance with the United States beyond the security and military realms, a former White House official said Thursday.
Speaking at a forum hosted by the Sejong Institute in Seoul, Alex Wong, who served as U.S. deputy national security adviser under Trump in 2025, described today's world as one in which the United States protects the rest of the world and a global economy centered on low trade barriers no longer works.
"From the fall of the Soviet Union to, let's say, the election of President Trump in 2026, that some 25-year period was actually a unique moment in world history [...] a departure from what the normal strategic landscape usually is," said Wong, who is now global chief strategy officer of the Hanwha Group.
"We can't live in the 1990s," he said, citing the changes in the international landscape, such as China's rise and Russia's aggression.
"This is why President Trump's approach has resonance [...] Countries understand that some barriers need to be raised to bring back manufacturing. There is resilience in this new strategic order."
"I think it's warranted," Wong added.
The shifting world order provides Korea with an opportunity to elevate and diversify its alliance with the United States, particularly in industrial sectors.
"This is an opportunity for the U.S.-Korea alliance to take advantage of the strengths that Korea has developed, away from just a security and military alliance, but towards one that is focused on shared technology, building industrial resilience," he said.
On growing concerns over the economic impact of the Middle East crisis, Wong noted that although oil and stock markets are trending downward, the disruptions have not been as grave as those seen during the Covid-19 pandemic or the global financial crisis in the late 2000s.
"The effects have been surprisingly moderate," he said, attributing it to Trump's ability to execute strategies, such as through military actions, as well as Washington's diversification efforts to enhance energy security.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)