By Song Sang-ho and Cho Joon-hyung
WASHINGTON, July 23 (Yonhap) -- People close to former President Donald Trump have underscored the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Seoul's top envoy to the United States said Tuesday, as he touched on his visit to the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin last week.
Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong made the remarks amid lingering speculation that Trump's America-first credo and his apparent transactional approach could cause uncertainties in the relationship between Seoul and Washington should he return to the White House.
"What I want to make clear is all officials (at the convention) stressed that 'America first' does not mean the 'U.S. alone,' and that the U.S. will work together with allies," Cho said in a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Washington.
"To our country, they emphasized the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," he added.
This photo, taken on Nov. 1, 2023, shows South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong addressing a press meeting in Washington. (Yonhap)
Cho visited the convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was officially nominated as the GOP nominee for the Nov. 5 general election. Trump also announced Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice presidential running mate.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic standard-bearer.
Cho described the election race as "very unusual" and "hard to predict."
"As the contours of the election are complex, there have been concerns about the possibility of changes in U.S. policies on the alliance, the Korean Peninsula, economy and trade," he said.
"But support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance within the U.S. is bipartisan. Even after the election, we will make efforts to strengthen the alliance and deepen cooperation through various routes."
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