The Significance of the Two Candidates for the 2024 United States Presidential Election Through the Perspective of South Korean and Korean Americans

The United States’ presidential election is happening on November 5th, 2024. Currently, Donald Trump is the Republican candidate while Kamala Harris is the candidate from the Democratic Party followed by four other candidates from the third party or independent candidates. After Joseph Biden resigned from his campaign, the Democratic party officially chose Kamala Harris as their nominee in August, and Donald Trump, trying to get back after his 2020 administration, was nominated in July. 

In 2020, Asian Americans made up approximately 6% of the US population of 346 million, while around 10% of the Asian American population was Korean Americans. The candidates for the presidential election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris show their distinctive perspectives to the public relating to their campaign.

Republican candidate Donald Trump recently commented about the plan he made on the border of South Korean interaction with the States. According to what Trump announced, his plan was so-called the ‘Money Machine.’ During his presidency, Trump stated that he would charge the South Korean government around 9 billion USD, questioning the reason why the US forces should protect South Korea. Because South Korea has been paying more than 1 billion USD per year since 2016, the huge leap in his request seems to be unreasonable. However, this wasn’t the only time he claimed excessive compensation for the US forces in South Korea. During his presidency in 2020, South Korea paid 5 billion USD for the US forces, which is 5 times higher than the current request. Trump’s unfriendly attitude may led to opposition from Korean Americans in the upcoming presidential election of 2024.

However, the case of the democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, is different from Trump. During her message on Korean News, Harris expressed a specific appreciation for South Korea. Harris’s campaign  focusing on the prevention of poverty and protection of the middle class often draws a parallel between her mother and South Korean mothers. This strategy could possibly be an effective way to show respect for Korean Americans in the United States. Harris also stated: “That is the reason why I respect Korean Americans in the States; their hard work despite the hardship of settling in the States show how much they worked for their family just like my childhood experiences,” again showing an amicable attitude toward Korean Americans. 

The 2024 presidential election of the United States is a major event in global interaction. As Korean Americans are one of the key voters who would have a huge effect on the election, the candidates are each showing their own way of treating them.