There is an infamous quote often attributed to Henry Kissinger, ‘It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.’ Whether Kissinger said it or not, the sentiment rings true: America’s enmity and friendship both are detrimental for other nations. Japan and South Korea serve as stark examples of how Washington’s policies whether directed at allies or adversaries, are designed in a way as if destined to harm their sovereignty and stability.
On 7th September 2025, the South Korean government said that over 300 of its workers have been detained in a massive immigration raid at Hyundai plant in Georgia, United States. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Seoul and the US officials had negotiated on the release of detained workers. Reports say that South Korea will be sending a chartered flight to bring its nationals back home.
South Korea ‘s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Saturday chaired an emergency meeting in Seoul, where he confirmed that out of 457 people taken into custody, over 300 were South Koreans. “We are deeply concerned and feel a heavy sense of responsibility over the arrests of our nationals,” Cho said, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had activated its Overseas Citizens Protection Task Force.
ICE has released a video of its raid on Hyundai–LG’s Georgia battery plant site, showing Korean workers chained up and led away.
South Korea’s foreign ministry has confirmed over 300 of the 457 taken into custody are Korean nationals. https://t.co/wloUNpE4MG pic.twitter.com/brORwXGxun
— Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) September 6, 2025
He stressed that the economic activities of South Korean companies investing in the US should not be “unjustly infringed” upon during law enforcement operations. Cho also instructed officials to provide active consular support for those detained.
Reports say that Park Yoon-joo, South Korea’s first vice foreign minister told US secretary of state for political affairs, Allison Hooke, that this lamentable raid came “at a critical time, when the momentum of trust and cooperation between the two leaders, forged through their first summit, must be maintained”.
As per the American authorities, these arrests were a part of a criminal probe into alleged violations of immigration and employment rules. Homeland Security officials said those detained included individuals who overstayed visas or entered through visa waiver programmes that prohibited them from working. Most of them are now being held at a detention facility in Folkston, Georgia.
Defending the crackdown, Donald Trump called the arrested individuals “illegal aliens” and said that the immigration officers were “just doing their job.”
This humiliating treatment meted out to South Korean workers in the US, comes only weeks after Washington and Seoul announced a major trade agreement in July. Last month, speaking to reporters at White House, Trump also called the trade deal with South Korea “historic”.
In July, Trump announced that the US and South Korea had reached a “full and complete trade deal,” which included a 15 per cent tariff on South Korean exports, a $350 billion investment commitment to US projects, and $100 billion in energy purchases.
However, it now seems that Trump administration’s greed was not satiated despite massive investment commitment from South Korea and just weeks after signing a ‘historic’ trade deal, Trump has resorted to acting against South Korean nationals in the US.
Perhaps, this is yet another of Donald Trump’s pressure tactics, a negotiating tool, to bend his ‘friend’ into handing more profits to his coffers or maybe it was Trump’s way of asserting his dominance, intended to play out to his MAGA support base that he would humiliate even his allies to oust alleged illegal aliens residing in the US.
It is notable here that the USA and the Republic of Korea have been close allies since the 1950s Korean War, marked by strong military and trade ties. Militarily, the U.S. stations approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea under a mutual defence treaty.
Prime Minister of Japan resigns days after being compelled into signing ignominious trade deal with the US
The Trump administration’s ‘bully the friends, humiliate the allies, squeeze maximum profits, leave nothing behind’ approach has inflicted humiliation and burdened trade deal on another key ally: Japan.
On 7th September, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his decision to resign. While his resignation came in the face of domestic political upheaval and electoral losses in the Upper House elections, Ishiba’s decision to step down came just days after Japan signed a trade deal with the United State, and pledged to invest $550 billion in the USA.
Ishiba had personally endorsed the US deal involving major Japanese investment in sectors ranging from semiconductors and energy to pharmaceutical production and infrastructure. This strategic economic commitment was made during recent US–Japan trade negotiations. In return, the USA reduced tariffs on Japanese automobiles.
Significantly, Trump has said that his government will decide the sectors where the investments will be made. This essentially means that Japan will hand over the money the USA for investing in sectors and industries of their choice. This deal sparked widespread criticism in Japan and worldwide and is being seen as nothing short of a surrender of sovereignty before the US. Trump has essentially reduced Tokyo from a respected partner to a financial colony.
Again, Japan is a key US partner since the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco. The US deploys around 54,000 troops in Japan, including key bases like Yokosuka, hosting the only forward-deployed U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan. Over 26,000 US troops are stationed in Okinawa, including key installations like the Kadena Air Base.
The ‘trade deal’ is so insulting for Japan, that even Trump administration officials could not hold back from expressing their glee over having compelled Japan into signing the insulting deal.
Being as uncouth as he could, US Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, recently gleefully said that the US-Japan deal gives Donald Trump “complete discretion” over where $550 billion Japanese-funded investments will go.
Appearing on a CNBC show, Lutnick said “In order to buy down the US tariff rate, the Japanese have given $550 billion dollars to President Trump, to direct where and how these funds are invested in America. That’s half a percentage of GDP growth for a year, for the rest of his term, given to Donald Trump in order build in America for national and economic security. It is the most fun working for Donald Trump…”
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Trump’s Japan trade deal:
“In exchange for lower tariffs, Japan gave $550B for Trump to decide how and where it will be invested in the US”
Howard Lutnick mocking Japan? pic.twitter.com/bO25peyZRX
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) September 5, 2025
The way Trump’s attack dog mocked Japan, shows how the US treats its allies and trading partners. In fact, there are no partners at all. There is US on end of a trade deal and its financial colony on the other end.
Vietnam secured tariff cuts from Trump by trading its self-respect
As ironic as it sounds, Vietnam, the small country which once defeated the US has now surrendered before Donald Trump, to secure a tariff cut from 46 percent to 20 percent. Earlier this year, Trump announced a 46 percent tariff on Vietnamese exports, however, on 2nd April, he announced reduction of tariffs to 20 percent. This news coincided with the approval of an extravagant Trump family golf course in the Southeast Asian country.
The US imposed a reduced 20 percent tariff on Vietnamese exports, while Vietnam granted the US zero-tariff access to its markets. This deal opened Vietnam’s economy to American goods, Trump’s family got approval for a golf course, but it offered no significant reciprocal benefits to Vietnam, as the US did not recognise Vietnam as a market economy or remove high-tech export restrictions. Vietnam’s massive reliance on the US market, around 30 percent of its exports, and the looming threat of huge tariffs, compelled Vietnam to give concessions to Washington.
European Union’s capitulation before Trump, boosted Trump’s confidence in weaponizing tariffs to bully countries into signing pro-US trade deals
Besides Japan and South Korea, the Trump administration has not spared even the European Union (EU). In fact, it was EU capitulation that instilled confidence in Trump that weaponisation of tariffs, threats and charged rhetoric can compel countries into bending the knee and signing trade deals meant to only to boost American economy and giving little in return.
The EU signed a trade deal with the US on 27th July 2025, reflecting its capitulation before Trump’s tariff threats. Down from 27.5 per cent, the European Union agreed to a 15% tariff on most of its exports to the US, while US exports to the EU face zero tariffs.
In addition, the EU committed to approximately $750 billion in US energy purchases and $600 billion in investments, and increased purchases of US military equipment. Trump’s aggressive negotiation tactics, including threats of levying higher tariffs and leveraging the EU’s reliance on US markets and security, pressured EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to agree to the one-sided terms. This, however, came at the cost of leaving European industries, especially automotive and pharmaceuticals, at a massive disadvantage.
Observer Research Foundation’s analysis shows that German automobile manufacturers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, which export over 10% of their vehicles to the US, will witness an annual profit cut of US$1.5–2 billion.
Just as it was seen in the case of India in April this year, Trump had put a deadline for the EU as well, threatening to impose a 30% tariff on European products in the absence of a trade deal by 1st August 2025. Trump had also threatened a massive 200 per cent tariff on European pharma products in the absence of a trade deal by 1st August.
India refuses to bow down to Trump’s bullying
While the EU, Japan and South Korea endured humiliation at the hands of the Trump administration, countries like India, China and Russia have embarrassed Washington with their refusal to give in to America’s pressure tactics.
Donald Trump imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on India earlier this year, then levied another 25 percent tariff as ‘punishment’ for India’s Russian oil purchases. Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘friend’ and then vilified India, called India’s economy dead even as it is growing phenomenally well, unleashed his attack dogs Peter Navarro, Scott Bessent, and Howard Lutnick to villainise India and blame New Delhi for Russia-Ukraine war.
The US-India relationship is currently in its worst phase, due to Trump’s intransigence and Modi’s refusal to massage Trump’s ego. Trump wanted PM Modi to give him credit for stopping the India-Pakistan conflict in May, using his ‘trade deal’ offer, even as the American President had no role in it. India did not give any credit to Trump, although Pakistan genuflected and went on to ‘nominate’ Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an award, Trump has made his life’s mission ever since assuming office in January.
India, however, did not indulge in any such sycophancy. Suddenly, India’s Russian oil purchases, which the US itself encouraged and appreciated earlier, became a burning issue for Trump.
From imposing mindless tariffs, accusing India of fuelling Russian war machine and profiteering from the ongoing war even as US itself is the biggest profiteer, vilifying the Modi government for its decision to continue buying Russian oil and improving ties with China, attacking Brahmins, to whatnot, the Trump administration has tried all pressure tactics at hand to force India into opening its vast agriculture and dairy market for American companies.
However, India made it clear to the Trump administration that New Delhi will sign any trade deal with the US only when it is treated as an equal and respected partner and not as a cash cow meant only to boost American economy. The R.I.C bonhomie seen at the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit sent out a strong message to the US, that not all countries can be subdued into servile surrender with tariffs, threats, and unhinged rants.