On April 1 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump made remarks emphasizing his dissatisfaction with South Korea, stating that European and Asian countries should manage the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively blockaded by Iran.

President Trump was speaking during an Easter luncheon at the White House, implying that the issue of the Strait of Hormuz was not a major one.

He pointed out, "The problem is there could be one terrorist with a machine gun somewhere in the strait. And then they'll say, 'Oh, it's not totally safe.' So, let them do it."

President Trump continued, "Let France do it. They get a lot of oil from that strait. Let European countries do it. But let South Korea do it, who has not been helpful to us," mentioning South Korea.

He added, "South Korea, you know, we have 45,000 soldiers in a very difficult place right next to nuclear force."

'Nuclear force' refers to North Korea, and the number of 45,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea is interpreted as the average number of U.S. troops deployed annually from 1950 to 2026.

These remarks come amid President Trump's statement that he is "strongly considering" withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after claiming he did not receive help when needed.

President Trump also said, "Let Japan do it. They get 90% of the oil from that strait. Let China do it. Let them do it."

He then asked, "What are we doing this for at all?"

The White House has deleted the live broadcast video from its official YouTube channel, but it is still possible to confirm it through live broadcast recordings from other media outlets.

It is noteworthy that, unlike other countries, South Korea was specifically mentioned as not having been helpful to the U.S. despite receiving U.S. assistance.

Some have expressed somewhat sensitive reactions, questioning whether the ROK-U.S. alliance is undergoing changes.

There is also an analysis suggesting a shift in focus, as if the criticism previously directed at NATO is now being redirected towards the three Northeast Asian countries, which is different from the past.

It appears that as the time to resolve the Iran conflict approaches, President Trump's attention may be shifting towards South Korea, Japan, and China.

The mention of North Korea's nuclear risk, in particular, is widely interpreted as an increased pressure on South Korea in relation to recent conflicts between U.S. Forces Korea and the South Korean government.

President Trump has previously presented purchasing U.S. oil as the first option for countries facing difficulties in acquiring oil from the Middle East.

Furthermore, the Trump administration, while engaging in a conflict with Iran, has also initiated investigations into major trading partners such as South Korea, China, Japan, and the European Union (EU) under Section 301 of the Trade Act, citing issues like 'overproduction and overcapacity' and 'import of goods produced by forced labor.' This foreshadows the possibility of higher tariffs in the future.

Of course, given that the Easter luncheon was initially private, President Trump may have spoken more casually. Since the White House posted and then deleted the video, and President Trump mentioned several countries in addition to South Korea, it remains to be seen whether his dissatisfaction with South Korea will lead to actual measures.

NNP=Sung Ku Hong, Chief Editor / Special Dispatch NNP info@newsandpost.com