Acting President Han Duck-soo has vowed to dedicate all his wisdom and abilities to protecting the nation’s interests in the face of new U.S. tariffs.

Han made the pledge Monday in a statement to the nation after he was reinstated, saying that since U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the world is seeing escalating rivalry between the U.S. and China for hegemony as well as a new geopolitical upheaval and a reorganization of the economic order.

The acting president said the past few years have shown that an extremely divided society only spirals downward, before stressing the need for the ruling and opposition parties as well as the government to make real changes. 

Han said he will do his best to ensure that pending issues requiring bipartisan support make headway in a steady yet timely manner. 

He called on rival camps to engage in bipartisan support so the nation can overcome the current crisis and achieve progress.