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IFANS Focus The First 100 Days of the Second Trump Administration: An Assessment of Foreign and National Security Policies and Outlook BAN Kil Joo Upload Date 2025-05-13 Hits 5773
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1. Introduction   
2. An Overview of the First 100 Days of Trump’s Second Presidency: What Were the Key Priorities?
3. Trump’s Foreign and Security Agendas in the First 100 Days: Characteristics and Impact
4. Trump and Security Geopolitics: A Comparative Evaluation Across Domains
5. Outlook and Tasks Ahead: What Would be the Trajectory of the Evolution of South Korea’s Foreign and National Security Policies?

1. Introduction   
 
The first 100 days of a U.S. presidency are perceived as a symbolic milestone and a barometer for forecasting the success of the four-year term. The second Trump administration’s first 100 days can be characterized by a focus on the economic front while cultivating favorable conditions for national security initiatives. The administration’s designation of April 2 as “Liberation Day” exemplifies its aggressive tariff agenda to achieve the MAGA (Make America Great Again) objectives. While aspects of security – such as involvement in peace negotiations and expansionist rhetoric – were present, economic priorities took precedence. Nonetheless, the administration has been setting the stage for a recalibration of its security policy to create favorable conditions on the security front. The 100-day record on foreign and security affairs shows three characteristics: (1) disregard for the rules-based order, (2) a comprehensive overhaul of alliance structures, (3) employment of defense cost-sharing as a bargaining chip. Such maneuvers have repercussions for global dynamics with American isolationism, transnational dissemination of nationalist exceptionalism, and new strategic opportunities for revisionist powers seeking to alter the status quo. 

The second Trump administration simultaneously adopted two conflicting discourses of hegemony and sphere of influence in the international security domain. In terms of regional security, the anticipated pivot toward countering China materialized with the Indo-Pacific region gradually emerging as a pivotal geopolitical arena. On the Korean peninsula, the ROK-U.S. alliance architecture was sustained, yet the dual-track policy of acknowledging North Korea as a “nuclear power” while manifesting Washington’s intent to engage in negotiations with Pyongyang created strategic ambiguity. In this regard, the second Trump administration’s first 100 days are marked by uncertainty and confusion. This turbulence presents both challenges and opportunities for South Korea’s foreign and security policies. Therefore, it is imperative that South Korea formulate level-headed policies to advance its security and national interests by extrapolating from developments during the Trump administration’s first 100 days. To this end, priority should be given to reinforcing the ROK-U.S. alliance while maximizing national interests through the clear identification and refinement of leverage assets in dealing with the U.S. In particular, given the Trump administration’s pursuit of “one package” deal linking economic and security issues, the Korean government needs to develop multiple scenarios and brace itself for potential shifts in the administration’s strategic emphasis from economic to security fronts.

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IFANS FOCUS 2025-09E(반길주).pdf
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