Professor Ahn Byung-jin: "For Trump, Korea is a Money Machine, Playing 'McKinley Nori'"

Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's inaugural speech and press conference remarks, Professor Ahn Byung-jin of Kyung Hee University's Future Civilization Institute summarized that President Trump is playing the 'McKinley game.'

On the 22nd, Professor Ahn said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "The keyword of the inaugural speech is about making America's golden age again," adding, "Trump is a fan of McKinley. The core is that he wants to open an era like McKinley's in the 21st century." William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States who pursued the stability of the American economy by implementing strong protectionist policies such as raising tariffs.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is giving a speech on the 21st (local time) in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Regarding President Trump's reference to North Korea as a 'nuclear power,' Professor Ahn said, "Trump is probably not someone with a deep strategic intention." He speculated, "Simply interpreted, it means 'There are many tasks like tariffs on Canada and Mexico, so Kim Jong-un (Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission) should stay quiet for a while. Then, let's talk about building a Trump Tower in Wonsan.'"

Professor Ahn advised, "We need to discuss how to secure South Korea's security from Trump and create a peaceful atmosphere, and also what we can actually gain from Trump in that regard."

Regarding President Trump's simultaneous withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO), he said, "It has a very important symbolic meaning for Trump as it means the U.S. is freed from international treaties that hold it back." He added, "In Trump's perception, the WHO is just a money machine where the U.S. keeps paying money but it does not effectively regulate or monitor China regarding COVID-19 and other issues, so it does not really benefit U.S. interests."

Also, when asked if Trump might impose high tariffs on South Korea, Professor Ahn predicted, "It is difficult to judge as it is related to whether something spectacular is offered, but since South Korea is also perceived as a money machine, some actions will be taken against South Korea to a certain extent." However, he added, "During Trump's first term, high tariff policies on South Korea were important, but now it has somewhat fallen out of focus."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.