South Korea and Japan quickly pledged to strengthen ties with the next U.S. administration. Former President Donald Trump has criticized both allies, saying they pay too little of the cost of defending them.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated Trump on X, saying the future of the alliance “will shine brighter” under his strong leadership.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi called the alliance with the U.S. the linchpin of Japan’s foreign and security policies.
Privately, Seoul and Tokyo have long voiced concerns about being abandoned by the U.S., possibly forcing them to acquire nuclear weapons.
There’s been no reaction yet out of Pyongyang. Diplomacy between Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, fell apart in 2019.
Kim now has a bigger nuclear arsenal, and he is believed to have sent troops to fight in Ukraine, to cement ties with Russia.
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