Category: US-ROK Alliance

This has been long suspected will happen and now it has:

South Korea and the United States will conduct a major joint exercise this month to strengthen their combined readiness posture, the allies said Thursday, but added that around half of some 40 planned field training exercises will be rescheduled to next month.

The announcement came amid speculation that the allies may push back some field training tied to the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise until after September as South Korea seeks to mend frayed ties with North Korea.

The UFS exercise is set to take place from Aug. 18-28 and involves drills incorporating “realistic” threats aimed at enhancing the allies’ capabilities across all domains, their militaries said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder if this a good cop, bad cop dynamic where Colby is the good cop saying nice things to the ROK while Trump is the bad cop making big demands?:

Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defense for policy, made the remarks on July 31 in a social media post following a phone call between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“South Korea continues to be a role model in its willingness to take more of the lead in a strong defense against the DPRK and in its spending on defense,” Colby wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. 

Colby also said the two allies are “closely aligned on the need to modernize the alliance” in response to shifting regional security dynamics.

Widely regarded as a key architect of Trump’s “America First” strategy in the security domain, Colby has led efforts to push U.S. allies to increase their defense budgets and assume a greater role in collective defense.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the Lee administration can see the writing on the wall that the US-ROK alliance is going to shift from just being a DPRK focused organization to one that responds to regional contingencies:

A senior South Korean official made a rare mention Thursday of a possible change in the role of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration may seek to shift the focus of its mission to deterring China rather than countering North Korean threats.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Washington as the Trump administration is seeking to “modernize” the South Korea-U.S. alliance to make it “strategically sustainable” in the midst of an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

“I think there can be a change in the role and character of the USFK due to various factors,” he said.

The official pointed to the evolving international security environment, technological shifts and a “growing strategic role” of China, as he enumerated the factors that could drive a possible shift in the role of the 28,500-strong USFK.

However, he cautioned against misconstruing his remarks, saying his talk of a possible change in the USFK role does not mean he concurs on the U.S. view in support of the change.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The Unification Minister wants to downgrade U.S.-ROK military drills despite receiving nothing in return from the Kim regime:

New Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday he will propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to President Lee Jae Myung, hours after Pyongyang denounced such joint drills and accused Seoul of “blindly adhering” to its alliance with Washington.

Chung revealed the plan to reporters, saying, “Yes, I have such an intent,” in response to a question about whether he plans to propose adjusting South Korea-U.S. military exercises to Lee.

In mid-August, South Korea and the U.S. are set to kick off their annual large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.

The minister’s response came hours after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accused the Lee administration of “blindly adhering” to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, declaring that Pyongyang will never engage in talks with Seoul.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but Chung is basically doing the bidding of Kim Yo-jong.

This interview with a U.S. diplomat really just affirms everything the Trump administration has been asking other allies to do, which is increase defense spending:

 A U.S. diplomat on Friday reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad” security commitment to South Korea, but called on the Asian ally to make the “highest-level” efforts to strengthen its own defense capabilities.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, State Department deputy spokesperson Mignon Houston made the remarks amid expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration might request South Korea to bolster its defense spending and military capabilities as it prioritizes deterring threats from an assertive China.

Houston also pointed out that addressing North Korea’s nuclear quandary remains a “priority” issue that Washington has “not taken our eyes off of,” while underscoring that the Trump administration is looking forward to working “very closely” with the government of new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

“South Korea is a strong and capable partner. President (Trump) believes that South Korea has the ability to ensure at the highest level that their defense capabilities are refined and strong. This is something we know we need,” she said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is great to see that the ROK Marines are participating in this very important exercise underway in Australia. According to the article 840 ROK Marines are participating in the Talisman Sabre exercise. The article did not say where in Australia they are at, but it is probably the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland:

U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has highlighted the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance as he attended an exercise conducted by the South’s Marines as part of multinational drills under way in Australia, his office said Wednesday.

Brunson observed the live-fire drills by the Marine Corps, held as part of the Talisman Sabre exercise, as he made a three-day visit to Australia this week to discuss defense cooperation and review interoperability outcomes for South Korean and U.S. troops in relation to the multinational drills.

The live-fire demonstration by South Korean Marines from the 11th Artillery Battalion, the 1st Tank Battalion and the 1st Marine Division mobilized the K9 self-propelled howitzer, Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system and K1A2 main battle tank.

“Observing our ROK Marine ally during this live-fire exercise at Talisman Sabre showcases the strength and readiness of our alliance,” Brunson said, referring to the South by the acronym of its formal name, the Republic of Korea (ROK).

“These complex combined, joint all domain training events are absolutely essential for enhancing our interoperability and collective defense capabilities,” he said.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This would seem to make sense that if the Trump administration wants to turn USFK into more of a regional defense force that OPCON should be transferred to the ROK:

South Korea’s presidential office dismissed speculation that wartime operational control (Opcon) is being discussed in ongoing trade and security talks with the United States, as political tensions flare over a potential “package deal” ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Aug. 1 tariff deadline. 
  
With fewer than 20 days remaining until the Trump-imposed tariff timeline, the Lee Jae Myung administration moved to shut down political controversy surrounding the transfer of Opcon. 
  
Opcon refers to the authority to command combined U.S. and South Korean forces in wartime. Under the current system, a U.S. general heading the Combined Forces Command leads both militaries in the event of a major conflict with North Korea. 
  
Once Opcon transfers, a South Korean general would command the future Combined Forces Command.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but what is interesting about the OPCON topic is that the Korean left has long sought this. Now that there is a U.S. adminstration willing to give it to them the Lee administration is backpeddaling from the negotiations.

Despite the current trade and defense spats with the Trump administration the people of Korea still hold a very pro-US view according to this survey:

Nine out of 10 South Koreans regard the United States as their most important ally, with only a small minority viewing it as a significant threat.

According to the latest findings from the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, released Tuesday local time, 89 percent of South Korean respondents identified the United States as their country’s most vital ally.

The survey, conducted between Jan. 8 and April 26, included 28,033 respondents across 25 major countries. In South Korea, 1,042 adults aged 18 and older were interviewed by telephone during that period. (……….)

South Korea ranked second overall in pro-U.S. sentiment, following only Israel, where 95 percent of respondents named the U.S. as their most important ally. In comparison, 78 percent of Japanese respondents said the same, falling behind South Korea in terms of favorable views toward the U.S.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

One commentator at the Korea Times thinks so:

Just a day after stirring a beehive for Korean negotiators and the government engaged in tariff talks with the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Korea pays “very little” for America’s military support and should pay much more for its defense. Under a bilateral military alliance, there are 28,500 U.S. military personnel stationed in Korea.

“We rebuilt South Korea. We stayed there. It’s OK. We rebuilt it and we stayed there, and they pay us very little for the military,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. “South Korea is making a lot of money and they are good … But you know, they should be paying for their own military.”

It’s the latest in a series of dramatic comments that the U.S. president has hurled at Korea. Trump on the campaign trail had said that Korea would be paying $10 billion a year if he were in the White House. (……..)

The time has come for officials to engage in talks based on data and numbers but also in a mutually beneficial and respectful manner. The U.S., for its part, should seriously consider the adverse impact its excessive demands on traditional allies such as South Korea will have on the deterrence against North Korea and — more profoundly for the U.S. — China. Alliances should not be sacrificed for the unilateral and transactional pursuit of short-term national interests as sought by the Trump administration.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but the alliance will survive the Trump administration. However, if the ROK does not agree to the strategic flexibility that the Pentagon is looking for then this could cause some changes to the alliance.

The rhetoric from President Trump has shifted from NATO to now South Korea in effort to get them to increase defense spending:

 U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that South Korea pays the United States “very little” for America’s military support and should pay for its own defense, amid expectations that he would demand the Asian ally shoulder a greater security burden.

Trump made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting, reinforcing speculation that his administration might demand that Seoul sharply increase its spending on national defense or its share of the cost for stationing the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

“We rebuilt South Korea. We stayed there. It’s okay. We rebuilt it,” Trump said. “And we stayed there, and they pay us very little for the military.”

He cast South Korea as “making a lot of money” — a remark that further raised pressure on Seoul to jack up its defense spending.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but the ROK government had to know this was coming considering President Trump’s past rhetoric demanding the ROK to pay more for the upkeep of USFK. We should soon see how they respond to the demand from Trump.