Frank Jannuzi, President of the Mansfield Foundation, has raised concerns over South Korea’s political instability, warning that its leadership vacuum is affecting diplomatic engagement with the United States.
Jannuzi noted that as Donald Trump begins his second term, South Korea’s absence from key discussions on tariffs, shipbuilding contracts, and alliance burden-sharing is a growing issue. “The U.S. government is making major decisions, but South Korea’s voice is missing from those discussions,” he said.
South Korea’s Diplomatic Delays Amid Leadership Gap
While cooperation continues between the U.S. State Department and South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense, high-level diplomatic communication remains weaker compared to other nations.
Jannuzi pointed out that South Korea has a limited window to address this leadership gap before Trump turns his focus beyond Ukraine and Gaza. He likened the situation to 2017 when South Korea faced diplomatic setbacks following the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. During that time, Washington took nearly a year and a half to appoint an ambassador to South Korea.
He also predicted renewed engagement between Trump and Kim Jong Un but noted that North Korea’s stronger ties with Russia may reduce its reliance on the U.S. “Kim Jong-un is now receiving money, technology, tourists, oil, and gas from Russia,” Jannuzi said. “He doesn’t need Trump as much as he did before.”
South Korea’s Democratic Resilience Praised
Despite concerns over the South Korea political crisis, Jannuzi expressed admiration for the country’s democratic strength. “South Korea is experiencing a political crisis, not a constitutional crisis. The system is functioning, the legislature is operating within the law, and the President is adhering to the constitution,” he said.
He emphasized that South Koreans are actively exercising their democratic freedoms and added, “As a foreigner, I find it inspiring. Some may feel frustrated, but South Korea’s democracy has proven to be very resilient.”
About Frank Jannuzi
Jannuzi served as Policy Director of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1997 to 2012, where he advised then-Chairman Joe Biden. He also worked as Deputy Executive Director at Amnesty International USA.
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BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
