Category: US-ROK Alliance

It looks like Trump is going to have a long memory if President Lee looks for any favors from the U.S.:

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again singled out South Korea for not helping with his war on Iran, reiterating criticism he has voiced several times in recent months.

“We got very little help from other countries,” Trump said in a primetime interview with Fox News that aired Sunday, as he complained that the United States spends billions of dollars helping other countries without receiving enough support in return.

Trump then pointed specifically to South Korea.

“We helped them, but when it came to helping us, I didn’t put on a heavy sell, but I just said, ‘Would you like to participate?’ and they all said, ‘No, thank you,’” he said. “And I said, ‘I’m going to remember that to myself.’”

Trump went on to suggest the United States should reconsider spending money to help countries unwilling to reciprocate.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Here is what could be discussed at a possible Trump-Kim summit according to a former Trump official:

President Donald Trump could put on the table the “tacit” acceptance of North Korea’s nuclear program, a peace treaty and an end to South Korea-U.S. military exercises should a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take place, a former U.S. official has said.

Anthony Ruggiero, who served as the National Security Council’s (NSC) director for North Korea during the first Trump administration,” made the comment in an opinion piece published by The Hill, a U.S. media outlet, on Thursday as Trump recently expressed his intention to meet Kim later this year.

Speculation has continued that Trump could seek a meeting with Kim during his next trip to Asia, likely to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, as The Wall Street Journal recently reported.

“Negotiations with Kim will likely include at least a tacit acknowledgement of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program,” he said.

Ruggiero went on to say, “In addition to Washington’s acceptance of North Korea’s nuclear program, Trump could offer a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War, a better political and economic relationship, and a permanent end to military exercises with South Korea.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this guy is basically advocating for the end of the U.S.-ROK alliance. How do you have an alliance that does not do military exercises together?

This shouldn’t be surprising as Trump has often communicated policy via social media:

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday the government had not been informed in advance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive to scale back combined military exercises.

“Neither our government nor U.S. officials knew what President Trump wrote on his Truth Social,” Cho told the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification.

“We were not notified in advance,” he said.

Regarding the reduction of an ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, he said Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back was believed to be in “close consultations” with U.S. counterparts.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It does seem to make sense you want the alternative airfield built before closing Gwangju Airbase, but with the current timeline for closure being 2028 I don’t see how a new base could be built in time:

“Airpower is what North Korea fears most and Gwangju is a base the U.S. military actively uses. It is concerning that the plan is moving ahead on schedule without a clear alternative prepared,” Yang said.

He questioned the timing, suggesting the decision appeared aimed at shoring up political support in the region rather than addressing a defense need. “With Korea-U.S. alliance issues piling up, designating Gwangju specifically suggests the goal is political — holding onto support in that region,” Yang said, adding that pursuing the plan for political reasons is not inherently wrong, but that it becomes a problem when it interferes with matters of security importance.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, noted the base holds significance beyond the immediate peninsula context.

“Sites like the Gwangju base feature hardened aircraft shelters designed to protect fighter jets from preemptive strikes, preserving combat power for counterattacks in a potential U.S.–China conflict. The same logic applies to deterring North Korea, where overwhelming airpower is essential … Joint bilateral consultations are essential to determine the strategic risks,” Park said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Another good sign in the growing cooperation between the ROK and Japan:

South Korea’s top military officer was set to attend a trilateral meeting involving his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Washington to discuss security cooperation in the face of North Korean nuclear and missile threats, officials said Wednesday.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung will meet with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, on Wednesday (local time) for a Trilateral Chiefs of Defense (Tri-Chod) meeting, according to the JCS.

Jin arrived in the United States on Tuesday, marking his first trip to the country since taking office in September.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

South Korea is apparently performing well at this year’s RIMPAC exercise:

This photo of Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is provided by the Pacific Fleet. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

A senior U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said Sunday he was “extremely pleased” with the South Korean Navy’s performance during this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), praising Seoul’s expanded leadership role in the multinational drills.

Rear Adm. Kim In-ho is serving as RIMPAC’s combined maritime component commander, making South Korea the first Asian country and the fourth nation outside the United States to hold the post.

A senior U.S. Pacific Fleet commander said Sunday he was “extremely pleased” with the South Korean Navy’s performance during this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), praising Seoul’s expanded leadership role in the multinational drills.

Rear Adm. Kim In-ho is serving as RIMPAC’s combined maritime component commander, making South Korea the first Asian country and the fourth nation outside the United States to hold the post.

“We are very happy to partner with the Republic of Korea and Rear Adm. In-Ho Kim and his team. I am extremely pleased with their performance,” Vice Adm. Jeffrey Jablon, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a written response to Korean media.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Until the fantasy of pushing North Korea to denuclearize is put away, the North Koreans are not going to see any value in negotiations especially when the Russians are meeting all their current needs:

Cheong Wa Dae stated on the 17th (local time) that during the G7 (Group of Seven) summit in Évian, France, President Donald Trump expressed a strong commitment to playing a necessary role in advancing issues related to the Korean Peninsula. This followed President Lee Jae Myung’s request to President Trump to “lead the peaceful resolution of the North Korean issue.”

Cheong Wa Dae added that President Trump praised President Lee as a “strong leader” and expressed optimism that the two leaders could jointly contribute to peace and security in the Korean Peninsula region.

No bilateral South Korea-U.S. summit took place during this G7 summit. However, President Lee engaged in a roughly 30-second conversation with President Trump during the group photo session and sat next to him at the official dinner, exchanging discussions on various topics for over two hours.

During the group photo session, President Lee approached President Trump with an interpreter and said, “As you resolved the Middle East war, please lead the peaceful resolution of the North Korean issue.” President Trump reportedly responded, “I will strive to resolve the North Korean issue.”

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see if the proposed transfer date will be during the Lee presidency or not? If it is then there is actually a chance of this happening. If not the next Korean president could just delay it again like past presidents have done:

The target year for South Korea regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States will be proposed to the presidents of both countries at the end of this year, Seoul’s defense chief said Sunday.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back made the remarks in an interview with broadcaster KBS, as President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has sought to complete the transfer within Lee’s term, which ends in 2030.

“Discussions on the verification of full operational capability (FOC) will take place with the U.S. defense secretary at the Security Consultative Meeting in November and based on this, a proposal will be made to both presidents,” Ahn said. “Then, the year X for wartime OPCON recovery will be decided.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Some more advanced weaponry may be coming to the ROK military:

The U.S. government has authorized a potential sale to South Korea of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs and related equipment, the State Department said Monday, noting the proposed sale will help enhance the Asian ally’s defense capabilities.

The department announced its decision on the potential government-to-government Foreign Military Sale (FMS) estimated to cost US$106 million. The proposed sale requires congressional notification and review.

South Korea has made a request to buy 708 KMU-557 JDAM tail kits, 58 KMU-572 JDAM guidance sets and other items, including weapons support equipment and U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, according to the department.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The criticism seems overblown, but this is typical Chinese behavior to intentionally overreact if they can cause tensions between the U.S. and an ally:

 South Korea has delivered its position to the United States over the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander’s recent controversial remarks that likened South Korea to a “dagger” in Asia, according to presidential officials Saturday.

In a recent podcast interview hosted by the U.S. Army War College, Brunson described South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia,” prompting criticism from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, which said the remarks “crossed the line.”

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, the defense ministry and the foreign ministry have delivered the country’s position over the remarks through respective diplomatic and security channels, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Although a Cheong Wa Dae official declined to elaborate on the government’s position regarding Bruson’s remarks, security watchers say the message was likely that of regret. 

“(We) are aware of Commander Brunson’s recent public remarks, and there are communications between South Korea and the United States on various pending issues at various levels,” the official said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I would guess the ROK government’s response was something like that they know this criticism is stupid from the Chinese, but that they would appreciate it if the USFK commander could be more careful with his comments to avoid more stupid criticism in the future.