As the gap between Quad’s positions on the pending settlement continues to widen, U.S. discontent is surfacing.
For the first time in 12 years, the U.S.-South Korea joint statement deleted the phrase “maintain U.S. forces in South Korea,” according to Chosun Ilbo. According to the newspaper, the 52nd Korea-U.S. Security Council (SCM) meeting held on the 14th sparked controversy over both the form and content of the SCM. At the meeting, there was also perceived pressure from the U.S. to raise the defense contribution and a hint of a reduction in the number of U.S. troops in Korea. In addition, the press conference of the ROK-US defense ministers was abruptly canceled due to “internal reasons” of the US. In response to this, some analysts said that the difference between the two countries’ positions on the pending bills became more and more obvious, which triggered the U.S. discontent.
The biggest pending bill of the day was the issue of defense cost sharing. The U.S. defense secretary said in his speech that “the burden of defense costs cannot fall unfairly on U.S. taxpayers, and it is necessary to reach an agreement as soon as possible in order to ensure the stable presence of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula. However, Seo Wook did not mention the issue of defense costs in his omnibus statement.
U.S. Defense Secretary Esper’s reference to the “stable presence of U.S. forces” seems to imply that U.S. forces in Korea may become a variable, not a quantity, in future relations between the U.S. and Korea. The U.S. also took the position that it would link “bridging capability” for the purpose of defense of the Korean Peninsula to the ROK military’s weapons acquisition program. The joint statement said, “There is a need to understand South Korea’s acquisition program.
According to analysts, the U.S. expression of discontent at the SCM reflects the atmosphere in the ROK-U.S. relationship, which has recently been marked by friction in various areas. But diplomatic sources in Washington say, “Anti-Chinese activities have created a hyper-partisan atmosphere, and pressure will continue to increase regardless of whether Trump is re-elected or not.” Keith Klatsch, Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Prosperity Network (EPN), who is in charge of the actual work of the anti-China economic alliance, said in a media interview on the same day that “the Chinese Communist Party is always looking for soft persimmons, but if the world unites, it can’t retaliate,” and “it makes the participants in China’s anti-China activities feel like they’re in a position to take action. The pandemic of (developing) countries falling into desolation in the ‘Beltway’ is coming.” He also said, “South Korea must join the clean network for the sake of its own security.”
According to the report, Seo Kaun, the head of the National Security Office in South Korea’s presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, visited the U.S. to meet with the White House national security adviser and is also scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
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