Differences Between South Korea and the U.S. Revealed in Security and Economic Sectors... Will Uncertainty Increase?

Disagreement on Wartime Operational Control Transfer at ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting... Secretary Esper Reiterates Pressure on Defense Cost Sharing
Differences Between Both Sides on US-Led 'Clean Network' at High-Level ROK-US Economic Talks

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Reporter Yang Nak-gyu, Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Uncertainty in South Korea-U.S. relations is increasing in the fields of security and economy. After the South Korea-U.S. defense ministers canceled a joint press conference scheduled to be held after the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), there are speculations that differences between the two countries have surfaced. Meanwhile, at the 5th South Korea-U.S. High-Level Economic Consultative Meeting held earlier, subtle differences in positions regarding the use of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei's products were also confirmed.

On the 14th (local time), the South Korea-U.S. defense ministers abruptly canceled the joint press conference planned after the 52nd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requested understanding from South Korean Minister of National Defense Seo Wook and others, citing U.S. circumstances before the SCM at the Pentagon that morning as the reason for canceling the press conference, but the exact background remains unclear. Some speculate that the U.S. side canceled it because issues showing differences between South Korea and the U.S. could negatively affect the upcoming November presidential election if raised during the press conference.

The most noticeable disagreement was over the transfer of wartime operational control. The two countries agreed to conduct the second phase of the three-stage verification this year, the Full Operational Capability (FOC) verification, but due to the reduction in training scale caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), proper training was not conducted. In particular, Secretary Esper mentioned in his opening remarks that "it will take time to fully meet all conditions" regarding the transfer of wartime operational control, contrasting with Minister Seo, who emphasized the early fulfillment of transfer conditions.

Tensions also continued over defense cost-sharing. Secretary Esper pressured the South Korean side again, stating that if the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing is not reached promptly, the current agreement gap could continuously affect the alliance's readiness. In fact, in his opening remarks, Secretary Esper emphasized the need for a swift agreement to ensure the stable stationing of U.S. Forces Korea, implying that the stationing issue could be linked to defense cost negotiations. This year’s SCM joint statement omitted the commitment to maintain U.S. Forces Korea at the current level. A Ministry of National Defense official explained, "The wording has changed, but there is no need to interpret it excessively," though the issue left room for controversy.

Earlier, at the 5th South Korea-U.S. High-Level Economic Consultative Meeting (SED), co-chaired by South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Keith Krach, differences between the two countries were also exposed. This was related to the subtle differences in positions between South Korea and the U.S. regarding the 'Clean Network' policy promoted by the U.S. to exclude companies like Huawei and ZTE. While the U.S. conveyed its position on the Clean Network and effectively requested South Korea’s participation, the South Korean government maintained that choosing products from specific companies is a matter for private companies and agreed to continue consultations with the U.S. on 5G network security.

The Clean Network is a policy excluding Huawei, ZTE, and others in areas such as telecommunications companies, app stores, undersea cables, and cloud computing. The U.S. government has requested South Korea to join this effort. The U.S. State Department currently designates SKT and KT as 'Clean Companies,' while requesting LG Uplus to stop using Huawei products. A Foreign Ministry official explained, "The U.S. side conveyed its existing position, and we also stated our basic stance," adding, "We explained to the U.S. that whether to use products from specific companies is a decision for private companies, and we agreed to closely consult with the U.S. regarding concerns about 5G network security."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.