Possible expansion of G7 to D10 in "Trump 2.0 era"

[Anchor]

There are predictions that when Trump’s second administration is launched, there may be an expansion to the Group of Seven (G7) in the global community.

There is also interest in whether South Korea will be included in the new group of advanced countries.

Reporter Kim Kyung-jin has the details.

[Report]

In 2020, then-President Trump referred to the G7 as a "very outdated group" and called for its expansion.

He argued that the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan no longer represent advanced countries.

At that time, there were discussions of expanding the G7 to a D10 that would include South Korea, India, and Australia, but it did not materialize due to opposition from some countries.

[Motegi Toshimitsu/Japanese Foreign Minister/June 2020: "It is very important to maintain the framework of the G7 itself. I think this is the overall consensus."]

There are also expectations that discussions on G7 expansion will be reignited in the so-called 'Trump 2.0' era.

Dr. C. Raja Mohan, a prominent East Asian political scientist known as the "Kissinger of India," argued that the G20 includes China and Russia, and the G7 lacks representation, and that the D10 could be an alternative.

[C. Raja Mohan/Advisor, Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, India: "The European economy is declining relative to Asia. .... It's almost the double the size of Canada. So therefore, I think the old distribution of power no longer exists."]

Regarding U.S.-China competition in the Trump 2.0 era, he stated that the defense of Taiwan will be key, but the likelihood of conflict in Taiwan is expected to be lower than in the first term.

[C. Raja Mohan/Advisor, Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, India: "The U.S. ability to mobilize the global system against China has increased. So I would say any reasonable calculation from China would want to avoid conflict on Taiwan."]

Dr. Raja Mohan also expressed concern that complete denuclearization may be difficult in the second round of North American talks under Trump, and that calls for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons may grow louder.

This is KBS News, Kim Kyung-jin.