In South Korea, Trump’s tariff threats place US love affair under strain

Seoul, South Korea – When Sideny Sim had a accidental to sojourn the United States connected concern respective years ago, it was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.

Like many South Koreans, Sim had agelong admired the US arsenic a taste juggernaut and affirmative unit successful the world.

These days, Sim, a 38-year-old technologist surviving adjacent Seoul, feels nary specified emotion towards the country.

As US President Donald Trump threatens to enforce a 25 percent tariff connected South Korea from August 1, Sim cannot assistance but consciousness betrayed.

“If they utilized to beryllium a state that was known to beryllium a person successful culture, the system and the cognition of being ‘good,’ I consciousness similar the US is present a menace to geopolitical balance,” Sim told Al Jazeera.

South Korea and the US stock heavy and enduring ties.

South Korea is 1 of Washington’s closest allies successful Asia, hosting astir 28,000 US troops arsenic a bulwark against North Korea.

The US is location to a larger South Korean diaspora than immoderate different country.

But with the instrumentality of Trump’s “America First” docket to Washington, DC, those ties are coming nether strain.

In a Pew Research Center survey released earlier this month, 61 percent of South Koreans expressed a favourable presumption of the US, down from 77 percent successful 2024.

Like dozens of different US trading partners, South Korea is facing terrible economical disruption if it cannot scope a commercialized woody with the Trump medication by the August deadline.

The Asian country, which is simply a large shaper of electronics, ships and cars, generates much than 40 percent of its gross home merchandise (GDP) from exports.

In summation to sending a missive to South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung outlining his tariff threats, Trump earlier this period besides claimed that Seoul pays “very little” to enactment the beingness of US Forces Korea (USFK).

Trump’s comments reinforced speculation that helium could request that the South Korean authorities summation its nationalist defence spending oregon contributions to the costs of the USFK.

After Trump past week told reporters that South Korea “wants to marque a woody close now,” Seoul’s apical commercialized envoy said that an “in-principle” statement was imaginable by the deadline.

With the timepiece ticking connected a deal, the uncertainty created by Trump’s commercialized policies has stirred resentment among galore South Koreans.

Kim Hyunju, a lawsuit work cause moving successful Seoul, said that though her institution would not beryllium straight affected by the tariffs, Trump’s commercialized salvoes did not look fair.

“It would lone beryllium just if they are OK with america raising our tariffs to the aforesaid level arsenic well,” Kim told Al Jazeera, adding that the Trump administration’s actions had caused her to consciousness animosity towards the US.

“I can’t assistance but spot the US arsenic a almighty federation which fulfils its interests with wealth and sheer powerfulness plays,” Kim said.

“I’ve ever thought of the US arsenic a affable state that is peculiar to us, particularly successful presumption of nationalist defence. I cognize it is bully for america to support this affable status, but I benignant of mislaid religion erstwhile Trump besides demanded a larger magnitude of wealth for the US subject beingness successful our country.”

Kim Hyun-ju says Trump’s policies person made her consciousness animosity towards the US [Courtesy of Kim Hyun-ju]

Kim Chang-chul, an concern strategist successful Seoul, expressed a much sanguine presumption of Trump’s commercialized policies, adjacent portion acknowledging the harm they could bash to South Korean businesses.

“The US tariff argumentation is simply a load for our authorities and businesses, but the determination truly shows the extent of US decision-making and strategy,” Kim told Al Jazeera.

“Trump wants South Korea to beryllium much progressive successful the US’s vigor ambitions successful Alaska. It’s portion of the US pushing for geopolitical realignment and economical rebalancing.”

Earlier this year, the US held talks with South Korean officials about boosting US exports of liquefied earthy state (LNG) to South Korea, a large LNG importer.

Keum Hye-yoon, a researcher astatine the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), said it has been hard for a US state similar South Korea to marque consciousness of Trump’s comments and actions.

“When Trump cites ‘fairness’ successful his tariff policy, it’s based connected unilateral expectations of improving the US commercialized equilibrium oregon restoring economical spot to definite industries,” Keum told Al Jazeera.

“As allies similar South Korea stock proviso chains with the US and enactment intimately with its companies, disregarding these structures and imposing precocious taxes volition apt make burdens connected US businesses and consumers arsenic well.”

While Trump’s astir terrible tariffs person yet to travel into effect, South Korean manufacturers person already reported immoderate disruption.

South Korea’s exports dropped 2.2 percent successful the archetypal 20 days of July compared with a twelvemonth earlier, according to preliminary information released by Korea Customs Service connected Monday.

Kim Sung-hyeok, the caput of probe astatine the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Labour Institute, said exporters successful the auto, steel, semiconductor and pharmaceutical sectors had been particularly affected.

“As exports successful these fields decreased considerably since the tariff announcements, accumulation orders successful home factories person declined,” Kim told Al Jazeera.

“Some automotive and alloy accumulation lines person closed temporarily, portion different manufacturing sites person closed altogether. Voluntary resignations and redeployments person go rampant successful immoderate of these workplaces.”

Kim said tiny companies whitethorn look the brunt of the tariffs arsenic they are not susceptible of “moving their manufacturing plants to the US”, oregon “diversifying their commercialized avenues extracurricular of the US”.

“And arsenic large companies look a wide diminution successful exports, these tiny companies volition consequently look a shortage successful merchandise transportation measurement that volition origin employment disputes,” helium said.

Vehicles for export astatine a larboard successful Pyeongtaek, southwest of Seoul, connected July 8, 2025 [Anthony Wallace/AFP]

The Korea Development Institute estimated successful May that the fig of employed South Koreans would summation by conscionable 90,000 this year, successful portion owed to the economical uncertainties, compared with a emergence of 160,000 past year.

Even earlier Trump’s accomplishment connected the governmental scene, US-South Korea relations had gone done hard periods successful the past.

In 2002, 2 South Korean middle-school girls were killed erstwhile they were struck by a US Army armoured vehicle.

After the American soldiers progressive successful the incidental were recovered not blameworthy of negligent homicide by a US subject court, the state saw an detonation successful anti-US sentiment and nationwide protests.

In 2008, nationwide protests took spot aft the South Korean authorities decided to proceed importing US beef contempt concerns astir the hazard of Mad Cow Disease.

More recently, President Lee, who was elected successful June, has emphasised the value of maintaining affirmative relations with China, Washington’s biggest strategical rival and competitor.

The KIEP’s Keum said the US-South Korea narration has evolved into a concern wherever the US has go a “conditional ally”, wherever “economic interests instrumentality precedence implicit accepted alliance”.

“The US is progressively demanding South Korea to cooperate successful its containment strategy of China among its different socioeconomic policies,” she said.

Keum said that South Korea volition request to question retired alternate markets and diversify its exports to mitigate the fallout of Trump’s agenda.

“South Korea besides doesn’t request to enactment alone. The state tin question associated enactment with countries specified arsenic EU members, Japan and Canada to travel up with associated responses to the existent predicament,” she said.