Ex-U.S. VP Harris faults Trump's tariffs, N.K. policy, calls for stronger alliance with S. Korea

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized the Donald Trump administration's policy on North Korea and tariffs, calling for a renewed commitment to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Speaking at a special lecture in Seoul organized by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Harris said U.S. President Trump's economic and foreign policies have been undermining Washington's strength in its ties with Seoul.

"I was very -- 'disappointed' would be an understatement -- to see when the current president changed the strength of our shared exercises," Harris said, referring to joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

In August, South Korea and the United States scaled back their combined military exercises at Trump's direction, a move seen as a conciliatory gesture toward Pyongyang. North Korea, meanwhile, has advanced its nuclear capabilities while deepening its military ties with Russia.

Pointing to the Trump administration's "erratic tariffs and the punitive nature of those," Harris said such policies ran counter to strengthening the alliance and America's standing in the world.

"We have to acknowledge the changing circumstances even over the last year and a half that require a renewal of our commitment to South Korea," she said.

Harris also called for stronger extended deterrence against North Korea, saying decisions on how to strengthen it "must be the product of allies coming together."

"The alliance between China and Russia and Iran and North Korea, it's something we have to pay attention to," she said. "There is the work that the United States should always be committed to -- that is about participating in strengthening the Republic of Korea's armed forces."

On economic ties, Harris praised South Korean companies' contributions to U.S. industries, including shipbuilding, semiconductors and electric vehicles, as well as their investments in U.S. technology and manufacturing.

"The Korean investment in technology in the United States ... is immensely significant and valued," she said.

When asked how South Korea could maximize its economic relationship with the U.S. amid tariff tensions, Harris encouraged continued cooperation but questioned whether investments should be made under pressure.

"Not as a consequence of a threat, right?" she said, responding to a suggestion that South Korean companies would need to invest billions of dollars more in the U.S.

"The nature of a relationship of trust is that it is reciprocal," she said. "You give and you receive trust."

Harris also called for a more strategic approach to trade and closer cooperation with allies to strengthen supply chains and prevent shortages.

"America must invest in a robust domestic industrial strategy and partner with our allies to build resilience and prevent chokepoints and shortages," she said.

Harris' remarks came amid concerns over Seoul-Washington ties, including constraints on intelligence sharing, differences over the implementation of South Korea's planned US$350 billion investment in the U.S. in exchange for lower U.S. tariffs on Korean imports and other pending bilateral issues.

"As I said in 2022, when I was last here as vice president: the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea has been a linchpin of security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific. Today I have returned to Seoul because I still believe that is true," Harris said.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)