[Anchor]
When U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office next month, said he wanted to buy Greenland, Denmark's autonomous territory, following the Panama Canal, related countries protested.
The U.S. media is taking it seriously, saying it will not be just a joke.
Reporter Jung Yoo-shin pointed out why.
[Reporter]
Located in the Arctic Ocean, Greenland is the world's largest island, nine times the size of the Korean Peninsula, and most of the country is covered by glaciers.
Geographically, it belongs to the North American continent, but remains a Danish municipality.
It is a place that is being re-examined as a resource report as it is known that rare earths needed to produce electric vehicle batteries are buried in large quantities.
However, on the 22nd local time, when President-elect Donald Trump nominated an ambassador to Denmark, he mentioned that he wanted to buy Greenland, which is causing international repercussions.
"We need Greenland ownership and domination for national security and world freedom," he said again publicly.
Trump is not the first U.S. president-elect to have his eye on Greenland.
Following former President Truman in 1946, shortly after World War II, Trump has shown interest in Greenland since 2019, his first term in office.
Greenland and Denmark immediately protested following the first administration.
Prime Minister Greenland Mute Egede said on social media that he "didn't put it up for sale, and I would never sell it," and firmly refused.
The New York Times analyzed that Trump is showing interest in Greenland in terms of national security and commercial interests.
Analysts say that the incorporation of Greenland could be a decisive opportunity to break away from dependence on rare earths in China, which was attributed to the instinct of the real estate agent.
He also pointed out that Trump's America Firstism also has an expansionist character based on the world's largest military power.
The Panama government strongly protested the return of Trump, citing excessive tolls on the Panama Canal.
[Donald Trump / U.S. President-elect (last 22nd): If Panama fails to abide by moral and legal principles, it will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States.]
Earlier, Trump also announced a 25% tariff policy targeting Canada, provoking him by saying, "What if it becomes the 51st U.S. state?"
These are all issues that could escalate into diplomatic disputes, and countries involved are struggling with Trump's unexpected moves a month before his inauguration.
This is YTN Jeong Yu-shin.
Video editing: Han Kyung-hee
Design: Baek Seung-min
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