Trump’s foreign policy lineup mounts challenges for Seoul

With an atypical pick for secretary of state, US President-elect Donald Trump is forecast to abate his predecessor’s refocus toward Asia while toughening the stance against North Korea over its nuclear program.

The billionaire real estate magnate picked ExxonMobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson to be his secretary of state Tuesday. The announcement effectively completed his foreign policy team, which includes Secretary of Defense-designate retired Marine Gen. James Mattis and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs-nominee retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who ran the Defense Intelligence Agency until 2014.

The lineup is in stark contrast to that of President Barack Obama, who’s choices were a politician with ample experience in a congressional foreign policy committee, a science and international affairs professor and a senior research fellow at prominent foreign policy think tanks.

While Trump has yet to present any of his diplomatic and security visions, the nominations are further magnifying uncertainties over Washington’s policy on the Korean Peninsula and the region in general.

His phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen earlier this month, together with a series of ensuing tweets, threatened to overturn decades of US support for the “One China” policy. Tillerson, who has no foreign policy experience, has close ties with Moscow and is likely to apply a business perspective to diplomacy.

Washington’s North Korea policy would hinge on its relations with China. As the Trump administration presses China over economic and other issues, Beijing may move to embrace Pyongyang such as by loosening its implementation of sanctions, observers say.

“The combination of Trump and Tillerson could mean that the incoming government would carry out diplomacy from a more strictly reciprocal, business point of view,” an official at the Foreign Ministry here said.

Another official showed a more reserved stance, saying Trump has not presented any concrete policy views and Washington’s Asia policy would take shape after the appointment of assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and others in the team.

Trump said Tillerson would make an “excellent” secretary, lauding his “tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics,” while Tillerson vowed to uphold alliances.

“He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States,” Trump said in a statement.

“We must focus on strengthening our alliances, pursuing shared national interests and enhancing the strength, security and sovereignty of the United States,” Tillerson said, adding he shares the president-elect’s vision for “restoring the credibility of the US’ foreign relations and advancing our country’s national security.”

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)