Donald Trump's first official visit to South Korea is an indicator of how the decades-old alliance between Washington and Seoul will shape up in the near future. The US leader sharply divides public opinion in the South.
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
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US President Trump is visiting South Korea on Tuesday, November 7, as part of his marathon 12-day trip to five different Asian nations. The US leader elicits sharp reactions from the South Korean public, evidenced by the fact that a dozens of protesters have already been demonstrating for weeks in front of the US embassy in Seoul.
As in many other areas, South Korean society seems to be deeply divided over Seoul's alliance with Washington.
"I view Trump as the main warmonger on the Korean Peninsula," says Choi Eun-saeng, a member of the left-wing splinter party, Democracy of the People. The party calls for the US to withdraw its troops from South Korea and not deploy any nuclear weapons to the region. "After all, we and the North Koreans are one people, sharing a history of more than 5,000 years," says Choi.
With his rhetorical provocations, Trump is driving a deeper wedge between the two neighbors, the activist noted, adding: "The result could be a catastrophic war that would break out here and not in the US."
At the other end of the political spectrum is Seon Hyeon-ju, who, carrying an "I Love Trump" placard, is convinced that a first strike against the Kim Jong Un regime in North Korea is long overdue. Seon also sees an enemy within South Korea's own ranks: The left-leaning government under President Moon Jae-in has been infiltrated by "North Korean sympathizers," as she puts it.
For Moon, Trump's trip definitely presents a tough challenge. A wide gulf divides the two leaders' views on a number of subjects. Even their political styles and approaches to tackling issues are different.
Moon is a man of calm words who values social harmony. Trump's undiplomatic nature, though, has already put Moon in a tough spot several times. And by spending only a day in South Korea, in contrast to his two-day sojourn in Japan, Trump has once again caused a stir in Seoul.
"Above all, South Koreans hope that Trump doesn't cause much damage during his visit,” says Willi Lange, a Northeast Asia expert at the Hanns Seidel Foundation, a German think tank. He considers the US president's provocative statements on Twitter against Kim Jong Un to be risky. "The North Koreans also know that they cannot start a nuclear war. It is not a completely irrational country – they know what they are doing," Lange said.
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
For years, the international community downplayed the threat of North Korea's military power. With the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it is clear that Pyongyang's military capabilities are growing.
Image: Gettty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/M. Brown
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/KCNA
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
Image: picture-alliance/MAXPPP
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Jones
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
Image: Reuters/K. Hong-Ji
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/KCNA
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Being prepared
Still, former IT employee Woo Seung-yep strives to ready his compatriots for emergencies. In two books he gives advice on how to survive in the event of a nuclear war. In addition, Woo manages the internet forum "Survival 21," which now has over 20,000 members. The main question dominating the users' discussions: Is a war with North Korea imminent?
"At school, we were always told that North Koreans are evil and that we should eliminate the communists, but how to protect ourselves from a war was practically not an issue," Woo pointed out. South Korean society has always dismissed him as a scaremonger, due to his "survival tips."
"Many South Koreans consider my work useless because they think I am wasting my time," Woo said. But he notes that since the recent uptick in tensions in the region, his views are gaining traction with an increasing number of people.
Moon turns to China
North Korea is not the only annoying topic of discussion between Seoul and Washington. Another major bone of contention is trade. South Koreans are increasingly worried about Trump's protectionist agenda and "America First" policy with regard to commercial ties.
Trump has sharply criticized the Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS) - labelling it "a terrible deal" - and South Korea's significant trade surplus with the US. Seoul has therefore tentatively agreed to renegotiate the pact.
South Korea also fears that Trump might once again raise the issue of funding for the US troops stationed in South Korea, demanding Seoul to cover more of their expenses.
Even during his campaign for president, Trump had criticized the South for not compensating the US enough for guaranteeing its security.
Against this backdrop, President Moon is increasingly focusing on maintaining better relations with China. Ties between Seoul and Beijing have cooled markedly since the US installed the controversial THAAD missile defense system on South Korean soil. This deployment drew Chinese ire and hurt trade relations between the two Asian nations. China imposed a hefty economic cost on South Korea, where firms suffered heavy losses worth billions of dollars.
But now, both nations appear to be mending ties and resolving the discord afflicting their partnership. It comes as South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa has made it clear that Seoul will not seek a trilateral military alliance with Washington and Tokyo.
North Korea's history of taking US prisoners
The parents of US tourist Otto Warmbier, who died after being imprisoned in North Korea, say he was tortured. His case is an extreme example when compared to other US citizens who have been held captive by Pyongyang.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
'Crimes against the state'
In 2016, US student Otto Warmbier was arrested for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster as a "trophy." He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for "crimes against the state." In June 2017, he was returned by North Korea to the US in a coma and died a week later. What happened to him in captivity is a mystery. His death prompted a ban on US citizens traveling to North Korea.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP
'Subversion and espionage'
Kim Dong Chul, a South Korea-born US citizen, was sentenced in 2015 to 10 years hard labor for "subversion and espionage" after North Korean officials said he received a USB stick containing nuclear-linked and military secrets from a South Korean source in North Korea. Chul was arrested while visiting the special economic zone of Rason. He remains imprisoned and his condition is unknown.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
'Trying to overthrow the regime'
In 2013, North Korea sentenced US citizen Kenneth Bae to 15 years hard labor for "crimes against the state." He was arrested while on a tour group in the port city of Rason. A North Korean court described Bae as a militant Christian evangelist. He was allowed to talk to the media once, and said he was forced to work eight hours a day and was in poor health. Bae was released in November 2014.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
'Rash behavior' and 'hostile acts'
In 2013, US citizen Matthew Miller was arrested when he arrived in Pyongyang and reportedly tore up his US passport, demanding asylum in North Korea. He was later sentenced to six years of hard labor on charges of espionage. The court said Miller had a "wild ambition" to experience prison life so that he could secretly investigate North Korea's human rights situation. He was released in 2014.
Image: Reuters/KCNA
'Criminal involved in killing civilians'
In 2013, Merrill Newman an 85-year-old Korean War US Army veteran, was detained for one month in North Korea. Arrested as he was departing, he was accused of "masterminding espionage and subversive activities." He was freed after he expressed "sincere repentance" and read a statement that said he was "guilty of a long list of indelible crimes against the DPRK government and Korean people."
Image: Reuters
Freed by a diplomatic gesture
US journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling were captured in 2009 after briefly entering North Korea to report on refugees. After a month in confinement, they were sentenced to 12 years hard labor for "illegal entry and "hostile acts." Two months later, after former US President Bill Clinton met with former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, the two women were pardoned and freed.
