Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and a top contender in the party's presidential primary, said Friday he would seek a comprehensive package deal with US President Donald Trump if elected, embracing Trump’s one-shot negotiation strategy.
"Trump’s strategy is quite bold — to the point that it is even referred to as the so-called 'madman theory,'" Lee said when asked about his negotiation strategy against Trump during the first TV debate among the three presidential contenders in the Democratic Party of Korea’s primary.
"So, if you cling to a single agenda item that he throws out, you can easily be outmaneuvered. We need to pursue a comprehensive negotiation instead," Lee added during the 80-minute debate aired by South Korean broadcaster MBC.
Lee’s strategy mirrors what Trump described as a “one-stop shopping” approach, following his first phone call with South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on April 8. Following the call, Trump suggested he would pursue alliance-related issues as a comprehensive package deal, addressing them all at once.
"There are quite a lot of pending issues between South Korea and the United States. There's the Alaska LNG issue, the defense cost-sharing issue, and the agreement on cooperation in the shipbuilding industry. Because all these matters are interconnected," Lee said.
The issues Trump hinted at discussing as a package include the United States' 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on South Korea and South Korea’s investment in the Alaska LNG pipeline — a Trump-backed project aimed at producing and exporting Alaskan natural gas. Other items include the defense cost-sharing agreement between the allies, South Korea’s financial contribution to the stationing of approximately 28,500 US military personnel in Korea, and South Korea’s role in revitalizing the dormant US shipbuilding industry.
Lee, however, declined to provide a direct answer, offering only reserved comments when asked what message he would deliver during his first phone call with Trump if he were to win the election.
"Well... I don't think that's something that should be said off the cuff. It's something that needs to be said after very careful preparation and handled strategically," Lee answered.
Kim Dong-yeon, the incumbent governor of Gyeonggi Province and another contender in the party’s primary, said he viewed Trump as “someone who is highly adept at strategically pursuing his own interests, while many describe him as a very tough person.”
“I believe, therefore, that we need to forge more mutually beneficial alliances,” Kim said.
Kim recounted that he met Trump on three occasions, including during the renegotiation of the free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington under the first Trump administration, when he served as deputy prime minister for economic affairs under then-President Moon Jae-in.
With regard to negotiation strategy, Kim opposed a one-shot, package-style negotiation framework.
“I have a slightly different view. Comprehensive negotiations with Trump carry a considerable amount of risk. Rather, I think it would be better to separate the issues," Kim said.
Kim further explained that negotiating each matter on separate occasions could provide more opportunities to negotiate with Trump. For instance, Kim said, Seoul could bring up other topics while discussing defense cost-sharing, or raise additional issues while negotiating tariffs.
“That’s why I believe a strategy focused on separating the issues should form the core of our approach," Kim added.
Kim Kyung-soo, former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, expressed the view that the current acting government of South Korea should not kickstart negotiations with Trump over tariffs.
“When it comes to the tariff war, I don't believe it is acting President Han Duck-soo’s place to take the lead at this time,” he said. “In my view, it is enough for him to play a preparatory role in laying the groundwork so that the next administration can fully engage in negotiations.”
During the first TV debate among Democratic Party candidates, which took place 46 days before the early presidential election on June 3, foreign and security policies were barely addressed, aside from brief mentions of the contenders' negotiation strategies against Trump and the role of the interim Korean administration in Trump's tariff policy.
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
