Despite the rhetoric, the Trump administration is unlikely to make a drastic change to its relations with North Korea in the long term, as its deep economic ties with China, the North’s primary backer, would limit its policy options, said Choi Jong-kun, a renowned scholar on Northeast Asian security in Seoul. He stressed South Korea badly needs strategic thinking in its relations with allies and neighbors, and the country should avoid getting involved in unnecessary disputes to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.