Category: US Government

What I find interesting about this pick for Secretary of Defense is that I can still remember all the complaints about the militarization of the government when General Mattis was selected as Secretary of Defense. Will these same people be out there criticizing General Austin for the same reason?:

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired four-star Army general Lloyd J. Austin to be secretary of defense, according to four people familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon.

Biden selected Austin over the longtime front-runner candidate, Michele Flournoy, a former senior Pentagon official and Biden supporter who would have been the first woman to serve as defense secretary. Biden also had considered Jeh Johnson, a former Pentagon general counsel and former secretary of homeland defense.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

I still predict there will be a provocation period a few months after the inauguration followed by a deal to reduce tensions that will likely include the easing of sanctions the Kim regime has long wanted. I guess we will see what happens, but Antony Blinken looks like the person that will be dealing with it:

Given his past hardline stance against North Korea, many predict that nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, may favor putting more pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang to drive the country toward denuclearization under the upcoming Joe Biden administration.

But diplomatic experts believe that Blinken is unlikely to just pursue an approach of isolating the reclusive state ― a policy adopted by the Barack Obama administration, in which he served as deputy secretary of state ― considering his recent indications that he is prepared to sit down with the “rogue state.”

Biden appointed Blinken to be secretary of state, Monday, while Jake Sullivan, a former senior policy adviser to Hillary Clinton, was named as his new national security adviser.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

The U.S. embassy’s virtue signaling didn’t last very long:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul took down a “Black Lives Matter” banner from its mission building Monday, only two days after the banner was unfurled in solidarity with “the fight against racial injustice and police brutality” in the United States.

In a statement sent to The Korea Times Tuesday, an embassy spokeswoman said Ambassador Harry Harris removed the banner to avoid misapprehension that he supports any specific groups leading the protests.

“The ambassador’s intent was not to support or encourage donations to any specific organization,” the spokeswoman said. “To avoid the misperception that American taxpayer dollars were spent to benefit such organizations, he directed that the banner be removed.

“This in no way lessens the principles and ideals expressed by raising the banner, and the embassy will look for other ways to convey fundamental American values in these times of difficulty at home.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but it does seem strange that the State Department would be advocating for an organization that supports illegal immigration and defunding police departments.

Here is what Ambassador Harris had to say about the protests and riots back in the U.S.:

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris has condemned opportunistic looters who take advantage of peaceful protests against racism as a cover for their crimes in his country.

“Most demonstrators across the United States today are formed in peaceful protests against racism, bigotry and hatred. I stand with them. I share the conviction that those beliefs have no place in our society,” Harris said on Facebook Friday.

“To be clear, however, I do not stand with those who use peaceful protest as a cover for vandalism, mayhem, and wanton destruction.

“And to those voices ― and there are some, already ― who take perverse pleasure in what is happening in America today … to them I say we’ll emerge a better country and a stronger democracy … and we won’t forget.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

I am surprised this did not happen sooner:

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul said Wednesday that it will suspend all routine visa services from Thursday for an unspecified period of time in keeping with the State Department’s measures to respond to the new coronavirus outbreak.

The embassy said in a statement that it “will cancel all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments” starting Thursday. However, this will not affect the existing visa waiver program, and services to U.S. citizens will continue.

The visa waiver enables Korean nationals to travel to the United States for tourism or business purposes for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

This idea first implemented in South Korea just make a lot of sense for a variety of reasons if there are enough test kits to support it:

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday introduced drive-through tests as part of efforts to fight the coronavirus, a week after he questioned the effectiveness of the method widely used in South Korea.

Trump made the announcement during a White House press conference at which he declared a national emergency to fight the growing outbreak in the United States.

“We’ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals,” he said. “The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The newly appointed U.S. Secretary of of Defense is in Seoul and he has quite a full plate of issues to discuss with his ROK counterparts:

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived in South Korea on Thursday for talks that are expected to focus on a series of requests Washington has been making to Seoul, including a greater financial contribution to the cost of stationing American troops here.

Also expected to be on the agenda for Esper’s talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo are the U.S. initiative to secure the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and Washington’s wish to get a military information-sharing pact between the South and Japan renewed.

Esper landed at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, from Mongolia for a two-day visit as part of his five-nation tour of the Asia-Pacific region, which includes stops in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, according to defense ministry officials. It is his first overseas trip since taking office last month.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but trying to get the ROK to pay significantly more for US troop upkeep will be extremely challenging. Also getting the ROK to contribute any serious naval commitment to the Strait of Hormuz will likely be challenging as well considering the relatively good relationship the ROK has with Iran. The ROK could look at this issue as that Iran is not messing with their energy shipments so why give them excuse to by supporting the U.S. on this issue?

Other issues to be discussed is the GSOMIA that South Korea has threatened to end with Japan over the current trade dispute and Seoul OPCON transfer. I would think the OPCON transfer should not be contentious considering Seoul wants the transfer, but the GSOMIA issue may be challenging.

Like I said the Secretary Esper has a full plate working these challenging issues with the ROK.