By Kim Rahn
The Donald Trump administration’s withdrawal of its pick for ambassador to Seoul, Victor Cha, who reportedly disagreed with any limited strike against North Korea, has been stoking fears the U.S. is serious about military action.
Experts say the hawkish U.S. officials’ so-called “bloody nose” strategy could thwart any attempts by the Moon Jae-in administration to peacefully resolve the North Korea issue.
Cha and other critics said any such action could trigger retaliation by the North, especially against the South, and even against U.S. territories such as Guam and Hawaii. Pyongyang is believed to have long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching that far.
“His (Cha’s) dismissal adds to the narrative that Washington is gearing up for a bloody nose strike that nobody in the region wants, and that the United States doesn’t need,” Jonathan Cristol, a fellow at the World Policy Institute, said in a contribution to CNN.
Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel also said in an interview that the option was a “gamble” with millions of lives, not only South Koreans but also hundreds of thousands of Americans here including 30,000 troops.
“If you want to bet that if you are going to attack North Korea, however you (are) going to do that, and think that Kim Jong-un and the North Koreans are not going to retaliate ― it’s a pretty big gamble,” Hagel told Defense News. “I wouldn’t want to take that gamble.”
Cha also pointed out the strategy ignores the possible damage to the many American citizens in South Korea, saying in a Washington Post op-ed piece, “Some have argued the risks are still worth taking because it’s better that people die ‘over there’ than ‘over here.’”
There is also concern the Trump administration’s hard-line policy may create a rift with the Moon Jae-in government that seeks to expand ongoing inter-Korean talks into Washington-Pyongyang talks for denuclearization.
“The impact of this decision could result in a reorientation away from the United States by our allies ― something North Korea and China hope for ― and increase the likelihood that Kim Jong-un misperceives a joint South Korean-American drill or exercise as an attack, something that our allies (and China) fear,” Cristol said.
In his State of the Union speech before Congress Wednesday, Trump said North Korea is very close to developing nuclear-armed missiles that could reach U.S. cities, stressing maximum pressure to deter the threats.
“North Korea’s reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening,” he said. “Past experience has taught us that complacency and concession only invite aggression and provocation.”