South Korean media: "Controlling China through the US Forces in South Korea" to be discussed at the South Korea-US summit

According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the first South Korea-US Foreign Ministers' meeting after the Lee Jae-myung government took office, "both sides agreed to promote the modernization of the alliance by enhancing its strategic importance." A senior South Korean government official said: "Due to various factors, it is believed that the role and nature of the US Forces in South Korea may change." Previously, the South Korean government avoided mentioning this out of concern for provoking China, but now officially proposed to re-adjust the role of the US Forces in South Korea, shifting from mainly containing North Korea to a "modernization of the alliance" centered on responding to China.

The reason for the United States' intention to transform the US Forces in South Korea into a force to counter China is due to its own strategic needs. The foreign and security strategies of the Trump administration completely focused on China. The upcoming U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) may include reorganizing the U.S. military to prevent China from interfering in the Taiwan Strait. With the development of advanced weapons and transportation methods, the necessity of maintaining large-scale U.S. forces directly stationed in South Korea as in the past is gradually decreasing.

In the future, the United States may transfer some of the U.S. Forces in South Korea outside the Korean Peninsula under the guise of effectively countering China, thereby actually reducing the scale of the U.S. Forces in South Korea. This would be a problem of changing the basic structure of the 70-year-old South Korea-US alliance. Just as the United States once fought for South Korea, the United States may now require South Korea to jointly deal with China. If the South Korean government refuses the above request from the United States, the alliance could face a crisis.

There are still differences between South Korea and the United States on the issue of China. After the South Korea-US Foreign Ministers' meeting, the U.S. side stated: "Stressed the necessity of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," but the South Korean government's statement did not mention it. If this situation continues to occur repeatedly, public opinion is concerned that it might deepen some Americans' perception of the Lee Jae-myung government as "pro-China."

At the upcoming first summit, Trump is likely to put forward to Lee Jae-myung the transformation of the role of the U.S. Forces in South Korea, an increase in the defense cost-sharing fee, and increased defense spending on the security agenda. He will assess whether Lee Jae-myung is an ally based on how he responds to his ideas and proposals regarding China and North Korea.

However, there have been continuous calls within the South Korean government to reclaim operational control earlier and reduce the South Korea-US joint military exercises. Lee Jae-myung seems to take a laissez-faire attitude toward this. Whether it is about tariffs or security, now is not the time to raise domestic political positions.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839523234646154/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.