Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Nov. 2, at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C. AP-Yonhap
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday touted the South Korea-U.S. alliance as a "linchpin" of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world, while underlining Seoul's "sizable" contributions to the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
Vice President Harris made the remarks in a special contribution to Yonhap News Agency, reiterating America's "ironclad" security commitment to South Korea, vowing to preserve its global leadership and accentuating the importance of the bilateral alliance forged in blood during the 1950-53 Korean War.
Titled "Let's Go Forward, Together: Creating a Prosperous Future for Korean Americans," her exclusive contribution is the first of its kind to a South Korean media outlet in this year's election cycle. It came just days ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
"In 2022, I stood at the DMZ and reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of South Korea. I know our alliance has been a linchpin of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and around the world," she wrote, recalling her trip to the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas.
"Trump, by contrast, is demanding that South Korea pay $10 billion a year to host our troops despite its already sizable contributions — disparaging our alliance and disregarding America's standing in the Indo-Pacific," she added as she is set to face off against her Republican rival in Tuesday's showdown.
In an interview with Bloomberg News last month, former President Donald Trump said if he were in the Oval Office, Seoul would be paying $10 billion per year for the stationing of the USFK personnel. He called South Korea a "money machine."
Early last month, Seoul and Washington struck a defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement. Under the deal for the 2026-2030 period, Seoul is to pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.10 billion) in 2026, up from 1.4 trillion won in 2025.
In the special contribution, the vice president highlighted the ultimate sacrifices of South Korean and American service personnel during the Korean War, which have underpinned the deepening bond and alliance between the two nations.
"More than 36,000 Americans and over 137,000 Korean soldiers gave their lives during the Korean War, fighting side by side to defend freedom and liberty," she said. "During last year's state visit with President Yoon Suk Yeol, I promised to honor this bond as we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance."
ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
Harris took stock of headway in the increasingly multi-faceted relationship between South Korea and the U.S. in recent years.
"Under my vice presidency, we have advanced our people-to-people ties and deepened our economic partnership by catalyzing huge South Korean private sector investments in America, which are creating good-paying jobs for Americans in industries like semiconductors and electric vehicles," she said.
Touching on sacrifices that her late Indian-born immigrant mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, made for her family, the Democratic standard-bearer expressed her deep respect for the Korean American story of "courage" and "resilience."
"Countless Korean immigrants have worked long hours — many in their family-owned grocery stores, dry cleaners and restaurant — to build a brighter future for their children," she said. "Today, over two million Koreans enrich every corner of America."
She added that Biden and she were proud to host the first-ever White House celebration of Chuseok, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving Day, and commemorate Korean American Day — events that she said recognized the community's "contributions to the American story" since the first Korean immigrants arrived in the U.S. in 1903.
Reciting her core election slogan of a "New Way Forward," Harris drove home a message of hope and support for Korean Americans — a key segment of Asian Americans seen as a rapidly growing voting bloc for the upcoming election.
"This election is about two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other on the past," she said. "I represent a new, optimistic generation of leadership and will chart a New Way Forward — one that protects the aspirations of the Korean American community and ensures you can not just get by, but get ahead."
Vice President Kamala Harris, center, looks on North Korea during her visit to demilitarized zone in Paju, Gyeonggi PRovince, Sept. 29, 2022. Joint Press Corps
She underscored that Korean Americans represent "the very best of what is possible in this country."
"I promise to carry on the legacy of our parents and their sacrifices, so that our children can achieve the promise of America," she said.
Renewing her pledge to create an "opportunity economy" aimed at boosting the middle class and small businesses, Harris vowed to increase access to credit and capital for small businesses and make federal funding more accessible in a message for Korean American entrepreneurs.
For those in the "sandwich generation" who are providing care to both children and parents, she pointed out that her "Medicare At Home" plan will cover the cost of home care for the elderly and include vision and hearing coverage for seniors.
The vice president lambasted Trump, calling him an "unserious" man and warning that the consequences of him ever getting back into the White House are "brutally serious."
Harris also argued that Trump's "failure of leadership" fueled a "wave of anti-Asian violence" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I worked with President Biden to enact legislation to combat anti-Asian hate crimes," she said. "We welcomed BTS to the White House, where they spoke up for inclusion amid attacks on Asian Americans," she added, referring to the K-pop superband.
She ended her contribution by saying, "Let us continue to 'Go Together.' Gam-sa-hap-ni-da (Thank you in Korean)."
If elected, Harris will become the nation's first female and first Asian-American commander-in-chief. Previously, she served as a senator of California, the attorney general of the Golden State and district attorney of San Francisco. (Yonhap)
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