Seoul: Former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's idea of the United States seeking ownership of land South Korea has lent to host American troops appears to be from Trump's perspective as a real estate developer. Bolton, an adviser-turned-critic of Trump, made the remarks in an online forum, a day after Trump said that he wanted to ask South Korea if it can give the U.S. ownership of the land used by the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ownership idea sparked concerns that what was seen as Trump's "expansionism" could extend to South Korea, as the American leader expressed his wish earlier to acquire or take control of Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada, and Gaza. "The question of U.S. ownership of the bases has come up before because Trump's a real estate developer," Bolton said during the forum hosted by the Institute for Corean-American Studies (ICAS). He elaborated on the relocation of a major U.S. military garrison in Seoul's Yongsan district, which has led to a national park construction plan and attracted attention from real estate developers.
Bolton pointed out the broad reach of Trump's business ideas. "Look. He's just taken a 10 percent U.S. government stake in Intel. He's purported to charge Nvidia 15 percent of its H20 chip sales in China based on what taxing authority I am not aware," he mentioned, referring to two American tech firms. He also noted Trump's government took a golden share in Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel. Bolton remarked that Trump seems to be treating the U.S. as the "business he's running."
Discussing the "modernization" of the Seoul-Washington alliance, Bolton highlighted the technological role South Korea should play. "Obviously, a high-tech country like South Korea should be a major factor in helping everybody modernize," he said, expressing hope that this modernization would not result in the withdrawal of American troops. Bolton further cautioned against isolationist tendencies, noting, "I just hope that the isolationists in the administration do not convince Trump that we don't need troops on the Korean Peninsula or Japan." He expressed concern about the administration's strategic focus, saying, "We thought that the tendency in the administration might be to pivot more toward Asia, not to see Europe and the Middle East as priorities. I am worried that the real temptation is not to see anything as a priority."