Although South Korea is not going to throw a full-fledged challenge to the United States, but, having won a convincing victory in the parliamentary elections, the results of which were interpreted as a vote of confidence of the people to the President mun Jae-Inu, his government and the ruling camp, Seoul has made it clear that he intends to play a more independent role in the Affairs of the Korean Peninsula, even if it’s not really like Washington and not really fit into the American vision of optimal strategies in the region. The question is, will there be enough for Seoul’s forces to pressurize the line and make the new approach a constant.
the Exchange of shots between Seoul and Washington in recent weeks has concerned various issues, but usually they somehow had to do with North Korea.
the Various official representatives of the Ministry of unification of the Republic of Korea, including Minister Kim Yong-Chul, several times said that South Korean unilateral sanctions against the DPRK, known as the “may 24 measures” that were adopted in the conservative predecessors of the current leadership of Kazakhstan, has outlived its usefulness. The officials then added that this does not constitute a waiver of compliance with UN sanctions against the DPRK, but this was followed by hints that, say, Seoul time to weaken restrictions against Pyongyang, which is much harsher international, in the framework of the UN.
Then the same South Korean office has also been active in providing humanitarian assistance to the DPRK. Seoul stressed that he is ready to discuss deliveries to Pyongyang of 50 thousand tons of rice, to cooperate on the part of resistance to coronavirus. Also RK said he will allocate to UN agencies 4.9 million dollars for the implementation of various programs of aid to North Korea.
Kazakh President moon Jae-In every public speech does not forget to remind about his commitment to cooperation with the DPRK, claiming the need to find realistic areas of inter-Korean cooperation. Moon explicitly said that the South “should not just follow the dynamics of the U.S.-North Korea dialogue,” and must advance and implement initiatives toward the North. Moon added that among the most likely ways of resuming cooperation with North Korea – continuing work on the connection of the railroad, travel by South Korean tourists to the DPRK, the establishment of a peace Park near the demilitarized zone and several others.
may 22, influential politician of the ruling party, lim Jong-Seok, who was formerly head of the administration of the current President, in an interview with a local journal said: “If this year is not going to happen progress in us-North Korean relations, … the President of the moon will have a desire to act and to move forward, even if it will cause some negative reaction from the United States.” Lim, who was one of the main figures surrounded by moon Jae-In and was involved in the preparation of inter-Korean summits, “walked” and the US Deputy Secretary of state Steven Bigano, saying that he demanded from Seoul to cease all cooperation with Pyongyang and blindly follow the US policy in terms of the pressure on the DPRK.
these statements Seoul very quickly followed by a response from the United States. That said lim Jeong Seok is no longer an employee of the presidential administration, but its close ties with the leader of the South is well known to Washington. Because in the next two days after the publication of an interview with Lima’s various state Department officials outlined their position, stating that all sanctions relief is possible only in case of concessions to the DPRK as part of the rejection of the nuclear program that the United States does not intend to change anything in his approach and will continue to “modulepath” Pyongyang.
Then followed the prosecution of the U.S. justice Department for more than 30 citizens of the DPRK and the five Chinese that they moved illegally to North Korea about 2.5 billion dollars “to Finance a nuclear programme.” Although formal charges were made in February, but reported them only at the end of may.
a Different kind of close to the US government experts and officials on condition of anonymity, was not ashamed to make it clear that this zeal of Seoul on the development of cooperation with Pyongyang they not really like, and in the worst case under the sanction of USA can get South Korean companies, if they start to participate in the cooperation with the DPRK even at the request of his government.
in Parallel emerged a strong divergence between Seoul and Washington on issues related to the military sphere. In particular, senior representatives of the presidential administration, the Ministry of unification and the Ministry of defence gave to understand that they began to irritate excessively the active position of the command of the UN forces on the Korean Peninsula.
Here it should be clear that this structure only formally is called the UN, but in reality it is headed by a us General, who commands and U.S. troops in South Korea. The UN command also controls South Korean side of the entire border between the ROK and the DPRK. And because the southerners at every passage through the inter-Korean border needs to ask the Americans permission. The UN command in 2018 under the pretext of non-compliance with formalities was not allowed to travel government specialists of the South, who were going to survey the Railways and roads of the DPRK. At the same time the Pyongyang gave a green light to the arrival of southerners, but Americans who don’t like this convergence, decided to show “who is on the border of the master.” At least that’s what has been deemed the official Seoul action komandavane of the United Nations.
the UN command also went into a clinch with the South Korean Ministry of defense published their investigation about the shooting at the inter-Korean border on may 3. Southerners said that the DPRK most likely accidentally fired the gun, but the UN command agreed with almost every paragraph of the conclusions of the South Korean military. According to the command of the UN, and the South and the North violated the cease-fire, and refused to support the version of the southerners that the northerners fired accidentally. Experts also pointed out that it’s unusual when the UN command in detail and publicly voiced their evaluation. As a result, the Ministry of defense official expressed “regret” about the findings of the command of the UN forces on the Korean Peninsula, although South Korean military is also very atypical in conflict with the Americans.
Then it became known that the role of the UN command in Korea for a long time not like the current government of the South. Advisor to the President of mun Jeong-In in September last year, called the UN command “biggest barrier” to the development of inter-Korean relations. “The UN command prevents inter-Korean contacts through the DMZ. Pursuant to the agreement on a cease-fire, the command should only manage the DMZ and the line of demarcation. If the command to continue to do so, as has been done repeatedly, the people of South Korea wouldn’t like it,” said moon.
the Minister of unification of South Korea Kim Yeon-Chul said in October 2019 that the command exceeds its powers, and its role should be limited to purely military issues.
the Already mentioned lim Jeong Seok recently put it even more clearly: “the Command of the UN should do only what he prescribed part of the crossing the demarcation line, and not act like they have some special rights. This problem should be solved as soon as possible,” said lim in an interview with a local magazine.
According to the South Korean government, the United States abuse the role of the UN command and use this structure as a lever for restraining inter-Korean rapprochement.
the other day also it became known about the South Korean-U.S. differences in the nature of the joint exercises to be held in August this year. The stumbling block was the question of the transfer of command of the ROK and the United States on the Korean Peninsula with Seoul in the event of a military conflict. According to the current agreements, if the Peninsula will start a war to command the allied troops are American generals. That is, simply speaking, in case of war to give orders to the South Korean soldiers are Americans. Kazakhstan and the United States have agreed that by 2022 it will be right transferred to the South Korean side, but you need to prepare. Here the southerners welcome your presence and patronag��Ute to exercises in August was devoted to just this issue and to South Korean military leaders trained in the leadership of the combined forces of the ROK and the United States.
Americans are opposed to this approach to the teachings in August, insisting that the maneuvers commanded, and they worked out joint actions including against the DPRK. US generals indicate that similar exercises were held in March, but since the maneuvers of coronavirus was canceled, then they need to be held in August. Southerners also point out that the August exercises had been planned as an exercise in the transfer command, but if they delay, then the threat will schedule a formal transfer of command in 2022 the President moon Jae-In and his entourage intend to seek the return of the right to lead his troops to the resignation of the leader of the country, that is, until may 2022, Some believe that the Americans deliberately began to tighten the gear and trying to hold on to presidential elections, hoping that the next President of the South will not be so radical as part of the friendship with the DPRK and independence of South Korea.
Some South Korean media claims that the US generals believe that their Korean colleagues simply are not yet able to manage what may be in their possession. According to rumors, the Americans said directly that they are concerned, as the generals of the South can begin to handle huge military possibilities of aircraft carrier groups of the United States, which can be strapped to the Peninsula and will come under the command of Seoul. One of the Korean publications said that at a recent test the abilities of officers in the South to lead the joint forces commander of U.S. forces in Korea General Robert Abrams in General slammed the door and went to his headquarters – at a US military base in Pyeongtaek, without waiting for the scan to finish. It was alleged that the Americans were disappointed at the failure of southerners to effectively coordinate the actions of the troops.
the U.S. command in Korea is categorically denied, but admitted that General Abrams did leave early, though for a different reason – his dead mother-in-law. However, different sources in one voice say that regardless of why the US General left, the differences between the parties concerning the doctrines and future concepts of military leadership are very strong.
At the moment, it is noticeable that neither Seoul nor Washington do not want to wash dirty linen in public and do not wish to engage in an open skirmish, but both sides also don’t want to give up and at every opportunity does not forget to emphasize the firmness of its approach.
it is Clear that the leadership of the South sure added the results of the parliamentary elections on 15 June. The conservative opposition of the South, which agrees with the US on the issue of the need for stronger pressure on North Korea promised at the election to organize the rights��next the camp of “people’s court”, but eventually suffered a crushing and unprecedented defeat. The ruling camp now confidently controls the majority in Parliament and can pass new laws. It became a kind of vote of confidence of the South Korean people to the course, which implements the moon and his entourage, including on the part of North Korea. At least, that’s how interpretiruya the results of the elections in the ruling camp.
it is known among close associates of the current President of Kazakhstan missing those long talks about the need to listen to less “recommendations of the Washington regional Committee” and insist on a more independent line on the North Korean issue. Moon Jae-In he also clearly wanted to give a new impetus to inter-Korean rapprochement, which was especially noticeable in 2018, when he made just three of his personal meetings with Kim Jong-UN.
Together with the moon, with levers and wanting to do something serious, do not want to go full out conflict with the US who do not want to be full of “flexibility and understanding” the position of Seoul on the North Korean issue. In addition, a significant portion of South Korean society there is a clear not happy about the confrontation with Washington. North Korea is also not particularly responsive to the suggestions of the South on the resumption of dialogue and contacts, requiring Seoul’s willingness to confront the United States for the development of relations with Pyongyang.
Because it remains an open question whether Seoul to show sufficient hardness and to defend a more independent role and position. However, it is now obvious following Seoul and Washington are increasingly disagree about the optimal ways of solving North Korean problems and also have different viewpoints on the US role on the Korean Peninsula.
