Acting President Han considers U.S. visit amind concerns over South Korea being passed over during Trump's inauguration

[Anchor]

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump held what is effectively his first press conference about a month before his inauguration.

A wide range of domestic and international issues were covered.

Trump stated that he would "welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping if he comes to the inauguration" and that he would "meet with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba if he wishes to do so" even before taking office.

Over the past weekend, he already invited the wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe.

The president-elect also showcased his friendship with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un, saying he gets along well with him.

However, there were no questions or mentions regarding South Korea.

While our diplomatic lines are working to establish contact with Trump’s team, the leadership vacuum is clearly a limitation.

Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is considering a visit to the U.S., but prospects for a meeting with Trump are not optimistic.

Reporter Kim Kyung-jin has the details.

[Report]

In December 2016, the impeachment motion against former President Park Geun-hye was passed, and about a month later, the Trump administration was inaugurated.

Then-President Trump had a 30-minute phone call with then-Acting Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn ten days after his inauguration.

However, a meeting between the two ultimately did not materialize, and the South Korea-U.S. summit only took place after the election of South Korea's next president.

The government is considering both Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's visit to the U.S. and the dispatch of a special envoy, but the response from Trump’s side is a variable.

[Cha Du-hyun/Senior Research Fellow, Asan Institute for Policy Studies: "In the case of President-elect Trump, he values deals and transactions, so he will be interested in who will be in office longer and how much authority they hold."]

In this situation, the diplomatic efforts of the acting government towards the U.S. will inevitably focus on 'situation management'.

This is because policies that could shake the South Korean economy, such as increased tariffs and reduced semiconductor support, are expected to emerge immediately after the Trump administration takes office.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a task force today in preparation for Trump's second term and is focusing on reactivating networks with Trump’s team, primarily through private companies.

[Cho Tae-yul/Minister of Foreign Affairs/Dec. 15: "We will actively respond to issues related to economic security while effectively preparing for uncertainties arising from the U.S."]

The U.S. State Department stated that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is an alliance between governments and peoples, not just between presidents, and expressed readiness to work with Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, but President-elect Trump has yet to make any significant comments regarding the martial law incident.

Experts point out that it is crucial to continuously remind the new U.S. government of the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and to ensure that South Korea is not 'passed over' in its North Korea policy.

This is KBS News, Kim Kyung-jin.