Trump Ally, U.S. Senator: "Resetting U.S.-South Korea Ties Is Marriage Counseling, Not Divorce"; Stresses Cooperation to Counter China

U.S. Senator David McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, compared resetting relations with Asian allies such as South Korea and Japan to “marriage counseling, not divorce.” The United States is asking its allies to contribute more, but the process is aimed at expanding cooperation and could instead strengthen the alliances.

David McCormick speaks at the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C., on the 16th (local time). Hudson Institute.

According to the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, on October 18 (local time), McCormick made the remarks during a conversation with Mike Gallagher, former chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and China, in Washington, D.C., on October 16. “We are resetting the relationship,” he said. “In that process, feelings can get hurt, or things may not go smoothly.”

“In a marriage, things can sometimes go wrong or the balance in the relationship can be disrupted. One spouse may then tell the other that the relationship isn’t working and needs to be adjusted,” McCormick said. “That’s going to marriage counseling, not getting a divorce. That’s exactly where the United States’ relationship with its Asian allies is right now.”

“We need more from them. The existing relationship was out of balance, and our allies acknowledge that,” he said. He added, “I think we are now on a path toward a much deeper and stronger relationship.”

McCormick also discussed his recent visits to South Korea and Japan, mentioning the two countries’ commitments to make substantial investments in the United States. “I haven’t heard any controversy about that,” he said. “Every conversation was about how to do it—where to deploy that capital to benefit my country, my companies, and the United States.”

“This represents an enormous level of commitment that brings our three countries together,” he said. “We have an economic relationship built on investment by Hanwha and Japanese companies. There is also joint development and joint production in the military sector.”

He also noted that “our economic relationship is being strengthened through reciprocal trade agreements.”

Meanwhile, he emphasized the need for South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation to counter China. “If you are in South Korea or Japan, there are two things you need to do,” McCormick said. “You need to strengthen your own capabilities, and you need to strengthen your cooperative relationship with your most important ally, the country with the strongest military in the world, so you can counter this threat.”

In a speech before the conversation, McCormick again addressed the relationship between North Korea and China. Recalling his recent visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), he said, “The regime across the Military Demarcation Line survives by relying on a lifeline from Beijing.” He also criticized China, saying, “China is supporting Russia’s war machine. It is propping up North Korea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.