South Korea's ambassador to the United States makes an exceptional return home to attend a meeting, as South Korea-U.S. relations face a crisis due to multiple tensions.

Korean Media: [Editorial] Ambassador to the U.S. Returns Home Unexpectedly to Attend National Security Council Meeting — South Korea-U.S. Relations Enter Crisis

On the 16th, Korean Ambassador to the U.S., Kang Kyung-hwa, attended a regular meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) at Cheong Wa Dae, conveying recent sentiments within the U.S. administration and Congress toward South Korea. It is rare for an ambassador stationed abroad to return temporarily to attend an NSC session. Ambassador Kang reportedly delivered to South Korea’s top leadership the reality of deteriorating relations between Seoul and Washington.

Since President Lee Jae-myung took office, many existing tensions between South Korea and the U.S. have not been resolved—they have instead accumulated further. The Coupang issue stands as a typical example. At its core, the Coupang incident involved the leakage of personal information, but the U.S. has interpreted South Korea’s regulatory actions against Coupang as discriminatory toward American businesses. The U.S. Congress issued a report supporting Coupang, while the White House stated: “The South Korean government is targeting American company Coupang, and such behavior will not be tolerated.”

Although this reaction may stem from lobbying by Coupang itself, it does not explain why the U.S. government reacted so sensitively. Seven months have passed since the data breach occurred, yet the situation continues to deteriorate. This raises concerns about whether South Korea’s diplomatic and trade functions toward the U.S. are operating normally. Disagreements have also surfaced over issues such as unexecuted investments in the U.S. and the forced revision of the Information and Communications Network Act.

As misunderstandings between South Korea and the U.S. accumulate, certain government officials’ actions seem to be fueling the fire. Remarks by Minister of Unification Jeong Dong-young regarding the "Gwacheon uranium enrichment facility," along with government proposals to implement segmented management of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), have evolved into perceived security threats. According to reports, Jeong’s comments led the U.S. to suspend intelligence sharing with South Korean forces on North Korea—this suspension remains ongoing.

South Korea-U.S. relations are no longer what they once were. Where once the alliance was defined by a “blood bond” in security matters, economic interests now must also be taken seriously. In this complex landscape, the South Korean government must adapt. If every issue merely accumulates misunderstanding without resolution at the operational level, then Cheong Wa Dae—the presidential office—as the central command must take proactive action. High-level visits to the U.S. to dispel misperceptions could be one effective approach.

President Lee Jae-myung met with U.S. President Trump during the NATO summit earlier this month, discussing economic cooperation between the two nations and even touching upon advancing golfing social activities. The atmosphere appeared cordial. However, the fact that the ambassador to the U.S. made a special trip back to Korea to discuss the severity of bilateral relations came as a surprise to many citizens. One cannot help but wonder: has the foundation of South Korea-U.S. relations already severely deteriorated?

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1871205052100887/

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