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Trump Goes All-Out to Overturn 'Hush Money' Conviction: Could It Escalate into a Diplomatic Spat?
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is launching a full-scale effort to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts related to a 'hush money' scheme. On October 28, 2025, Trump's legal team filed a 111-page appeal with the New York State appellate court, formally beginning the legal battle. With Trump's political future potentially hanging in the balance, his legal response is expected to intensify. Trump's side is vehemently criticizing the case as a 'fabricated crime created by a political prosecution' and is determined to prove his innocence through legal means. Trump's firm stance suggests significant controversy will likely arise as the legal process unfolds. Notably, Trump was convicted of paying adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and falsely recording the payment in his company's books. This case has significantly damaged Trump's reputation and negatively impacted his approval ratings. Trump's appeal is interpreted as not only a legal defense, but also an attempt to restore his political honor and rally his supporters.
Trump's legal battle is showing signs of escalating into a diplomatic issue. With a trilateral summit between the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States, and Japan being coordinated on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju on October 29, 2025, the possibility of Trump's conviction being discussed as an agenda item has been raised. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are reportedly considering discussing matters related to Trump in a closed-door meeting on the 29th. If Trump's conviction is discussed at this meeting, it could cause subtle repercussions in the relationship between the three countries. In particular, Trump's supporters view the verdict as political oppression, and are expected to increase pressure on the U.S. government's diplomatic response. This situation is anticipated to add to the diplomatic burden on leaders like South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and other national leaders. Diplomatic discussions related to Trump's legal issues are likely to become even more complex in the future.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, prosecutors have appealed the first trial verdict that acquitted Kakao founder Kim Beom-soo, head of the Future Initiative Center, who was indicted on charges of stock manipulation in connection with SM Entertainment. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office announced that it had filed an appeal against the first trial verdict that acquitted Kim and others, stating that there were grounds for 'errors of fact and misunderstandings of law.' Prosecutors believe that Kim manipulated the stock price during the acquisition of SM Entertainment, and that the first trial court's judgment was flawed. This appeal is considered an example of the prosecution's strong will to address unfair trading practices in corporate mergers and acquisitions. The legal community predicts that the outcome of this appeal will have a significant impact on precedents for similar cases in the future. Additionally, People Power Party Representative Park Soo-young criticized President Lee Jae-myung on October 28 for not attending a Trump dinner in Malaysia, where he was visiting to attend the ASEAN summit. This is interpreted as reflecting the opposition party's efforts to check President Lee's diplomatic activities.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated in the National Assembly on October 28 that he was unaware of any inter-Korean agenda coordination in preparation for a North Korea-U.S. summit. This is interpreted as suggesting that the government's efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea have not yet yielded tangible results. Minister Chung also mentioned the possibility of North Korea expressing its position through Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un. This demonstrates that the government is attempting to communicate with North Korea through various channels. Samsung Biologics announced on October 28 that it recorded sales of KRW 1.6602 trillion and operating profit of KRW 728.8 billion on a consolidated basis for the third quarter of 2025. This is interpreted as a positive sign showing the growth of the domestic bio industry. The ruling and opposition parties expressed conflict while discussing the issue of Kim Hyun-ji, Chief of Staff to the Presidential Office, attending the parliamentary audit. This is an example of the National Assembly strengthening its oversight of the Presidential Office. The political community is paying attention to the impact of Kim's attendance at the parliamentary audit on future state affairs.
As major issues emerge in various fields, U.S. President Trump's appeal of his guilty verdict is causing a significant impact both domestically and internationally. Trump's legal response is expected to significantly affect the American political landscape as well as international diplomatic relations. In particular, Trump's legal issues are likely to act as a more complex variable in the U.S.-South Korea relationship. The South Korean government is expected to closely monitor matters related to Trump and focus on seeking diplomatic solutions. In addition, the results of Kakao CEO Kim Beom-soo's appeal and whether Kim Hyun-ji, Chief of Staff to the Presidential Office, attends the parliamentary audit are emerging as major concerns. These issues are attracting attention because they could have an impact on various fields, including politics, economy, and society. As various issues are expected to continue to arise in the future, accurate information and careful judgment are required for each issue.
