Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck speaks from his office in Washington, D.C., during a video-linked National Assembly audit session, Monday. / Yonhap
The Trumpet: South Korea Mulls Ending Military Alliance With U.S.
‘Just because Korea chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years, too.’
Powerful South Korean voices are crying out for the nation to end its military alliance with the United States, placing a sobering question mark over the future of the 70-year-old alliance.
On October 12, the nation’s ambassador to the U.S., Lee Soo-hyuck, addressed the South Korea National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, saying: “Just because Korea chose the U.S. 70 years ago does not mean it has to choose the U.S. for the next 70 years, too.”
Lee went on to say that South Korea should more highly prioritize its relationship with China.
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WNU Editor: The South Korean ambassador to the US is causing a stir with his remarks that the US - South Korean alliance needs to be re-evaluated .... Time for 'Korea first' policy (Choi Sung-jin, Korea Times). It is also causing some blow-back .... Envoy to US in hot seat over repeated controversial remarks (Korea Times). The Chinese are also noticing this split .... National interests drive Seoul, Washington apart (Global Times).
7 comments:
The feeling is actually mutual. I don't want my loved ones ducked into a military conflict between SK and NK. The American aren't pawns to be used by South Korea and their leadership. At a minimum SK needs to develop a robust nuclear deterrent. Without this I really don't see them as a useful ally.
The notion that OPCON would be controlled by the US in the event war is delusional. As a practical matter South Korea will take control of the US military and the US military assets in the region. I actually think this is a negotiating ploy on their part to try abd extract even more concessions from the US. After all they have 28,500 US troops and the military assets that accompany it to be utilized in wny way they wish even it runs contrary to American interests. I just don't see them wanting to give this up.
@B.Poster
America were never pawns to be used by South Korean leadership. What do you think Korea today would look like without American involvement? Do you need a hint? China would be in a much stronger position (along with North Korea) and you can take this to the bank; the tensions today would compare miniscule if North Korea had control of Korea and China would be in a far better position.
While I agree that America should, eventually, pull out of South Korea, with the current environment as it is, with China flaring up regional tensions, with North Korea still remaining an unstable element, do you really envision good things to come from a major pull out at this given time?
South Korea is in a better position to defend itself than it was a decade ago - and a pull out makes sense from certain angles. Yet in the current environment, it would be a strategic mistake to do so. If South Korea initiates that, then so be it.
But to call America pawns in that military arrangement is both foolish and shortsighted.
Stalin shot his wife in the face.
xxx
Anon (1:43)
Maybe you're right. Without inside information it's hard to "know" for certain, however, we can observe things abd study them. In so doing, we can usually arrive at the right conclusions.
Based upon my observations and speaking with men who've served there going back to the early 1990s it is my very considered opinion that US forces have been and continue to be pawns of South Korea. Frankly this "marriage" has been a very bad one for America for a very long time. It's time for a "divorce" or at the very least renegotiation. Frankly Canada does just fine without massive one sided military commitments like this.
I think we agree the US eventually needs to redeploy. Perhaps we can get moving on that direction now. Obviously an amicable "divorce" is better for both sides than a non amicable one. SK will need to respect us and from the tone of this SK leader I'm skeptical that they're ready to do that.
We need less slow trolling.
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