(Bloomberg) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President-elect Donald Trump discussed the presence of North Korean troops in Russia during a phone conversation that comes amid growing concern about Pyongyang’s deepening military cooperation with Moscow.
Trump raised the topic of North Korea first during the 12-minute call and the two discussed a range of issues including intercontinental ballistic missiles being developed by Pyongyang, Yoon said Thursday in a televised press conference.
“We will strongly protect our freedom and peace by establishing a perfect South Korea-US security posture with the new administration in Washington,” Yoon said, adding that he is confident he can build a strong relationship with the president-elect.
At the same time, the South Korean president said he would work to minimize the impact a Trump administration might have on South Korea’s economy including trade tariffs and pledged to support businesses as needed in response.
Pyongyang’s dispatch of thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine has heightened concern over an expansion of a conflict that is already Europe’s largest since World War II.
It was not immediately clear what Trump said about the North Korean troops during the call. In the US election campaign, Trump promised to help end the war “within 24 hours” by getting Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate, raising doubts over whether the US would continue to support Ukraine if fighting drags on.
Given North Korea’s decision to send troops to Russia, South Korea is not ruling out providing weapons directly to Ukraine depending on the level of cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
“If we provide weapons support, defensive weapons will be the first under consideration,” Yoon said.
Yoon said he agreed with Trump to meet in the near future and share more information about North Korea, including its missile and nuclear development.
Other topics during the conversation included shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries and ties involving Japan.
South Korea is home to some of the world’s most advanced ship makers, while the US shipbuilding industry has virtually collapsed in recent years. Hanwha Ocean is buying a former Navy shipyard in Philadelphia and recently secured Korea’s first ever contract to overhaul a US naval vessel.
South Korean shipbuilding stocks rallied Thursday, defying declines in the broader market, after the call. While Yoon’s conversation with Trump struck an optimistic note, concerns about the risks of another Trump presidency weighed on the minds of South Korean officials ahead of the election.
During the campaign, Trump described South Korea as a “money machine” that could afford to pay more for the 28,500 US troops stationed in the country. In his last stint in office, Trump’s tactics on North Korea were a major departure from previous US adminstrations as he scaled back major drills with South Korea and tried to negotiate directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in talks that ultimately broke down.
Since the first Trump presidency, South Korea under Yoon has ramped up its cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.
“The security cooperation between South Korea, the US and Japan is working well,” Yoon said, referring to their joint military drills. “I believe that direction will be maintained.”
Trump’s proposal for universal tariffs are a particular concern for a trade-reliant nation like South Korea. The nation expects “significant” impact on its economy after Trump implements his pledges and will take a range of steps to deal with it, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said earlier Thursday.
Touching on domestic issues, Yoon bowed and apologized after concerns over his leadership dragged his approval rating to a record low. Criticism of Yoon centers on a series of political allegations raised by the opposition and questions about his wife’s role.
Prosecutors last month decided not to charge Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, over the receipt of a luxury handbag from a pastor.
The handbag episode in late 2022 touched off a political firestorm when a video surfaced apparently showing her receiving the bag. Yoon’s political opponents have accused Kim of corruption. Yoon’s support rate dived to 19% in a weekly tracking poll released Friday.
--With assistance from Shinhye Kang and Seyoon Kim.
(Adds more comments from Yoon)
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