Harris expected to beef up alliance with Seoul
The nomination of Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, as Washington's ambassador to Seoul, is drawing much attention from South Korea. It came Friday, less than a month before a denuclearization summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to be held in Singapore on June 12.
Now the question is what role Harris will play, if confirmed by the Senate, at a critical juncture amid rapidly changing geopolitical circumstances on the Korean Peninsula. Needless to say, the ambassadorship to Seoul is required to play a more active role than ever before, given that Kim has offered an olive branch not only to the South but also the U.S., promising denuclearization.
The Seoul government under the leadership of President Moon Jae-in expects Harris to help boost the Korea-U.S. alliance and friendship. Welcoming the nomination of Harris, it promised to closely consult with the Trump administration to ensure the ambassador nominee can assume his post quickly. It would be better for him to begin his new job before the unprecedented Washington-Pyongyang summit.
The appointment of a new ambassador has long been overdue since Mark Lippert ended his term in January last year after serving from 2014 to 2017. This caused South Koreans to question why the U.S. continued to delay the appointment. Some critics even raised speculation that President Trump's "America first" policy may have triggered diplomatic friction, if not serious, between the two allies.
Trump unnerved Seoul officials in February when he failed to formally nominate Victor Cha as his top envoy to Seoul. There were reports that the White House decided not to pick Cha for the post because he was against the Trump administration's "bloody nose" military strike on North Korea over its nuclear program. Cha once served on the White House National Security Council under the George W. Bush administration.
Now it is necessary for Seoul and Washington to have closer coordination and consultations on various issues ranging from the upcoming Trump-Kim summit, the denuclearization of the North and bilateral trade. Therefore, both sides can have better communication through each other's ambassador. This is particularly important as Pyongyang threatened to cancel the summit last week, citing joint air drills and the "unilateral" U.S. push for immediate and complete denuclearization of the North.
Despite expectations for Harris, we still cannot brush aside some concerns about him because he is seen as a hawk. His nomination came after Trump appointed two hard-liners: Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and John Bolton as national security adviser. At a congressional hearing in March, Harris expressed doubts about the prospects of the upcoming summit. Earlier he called for increasing economic and diplomatic sanctions on the North until the country dismantles its nuclear arsenal.
Harris may find it difficult to stick to such a hard-line stance if he takes over the ambassadorship. He should tap his extensive knowledge, leadership and geopolitical expertise to be a good diplomat who can contribute to the alliance and partnership between the two countries.
The nomination of Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, as Washington's ambassador to Seoul, is drawing much attention from South Korea. It came Friday, less than a month before a denuclearization summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to be held in Singapore on June 12.
Now the question is what role Harris will play, if confirmed by the Senate, at a critical juncture amid rapidly changing geopolitical circumstances on the Korean Peninsula. Needless to say, the ambassadorship to Seoul is required to play a more active role than ever before, given that Kim has offered an olive branch not only to the South but also the U.S., promising denuclearization.
The Seoul government under the leadership of President Moon Jae-in expects Harris to help boost the Korea-U.S. alliance and friendship. Welcoming the nomination of Harris, it promised to closely consult with the Trump administration to ensure the ambassador nominee can assume his post quickly. It would be better for him to begin his new job before the unprecedented Washington-Pyongyang summit.
The appointment of a new ambassador has long been overdue since Mark Lippert ended his term in January last year after serving from 2014 to 2017. This caused South Koreans to question why the U.S. continued to delay the appointment. Some critics even raised speculation that President Trump's "America first" policy may have triggered diplomatic friction, if not serious, between the two allies.
Trump unnerved Seoul officials in February when he failed to formally nominate Victor Cha as his top envoy to Seoul. There were reports that the White House decided not to pick Cha for the post because he was against the Trump administration's "bloody nose" military strike on North Korea over its nuclear program. Cha once served on the White House National Security Council under the George W. Bush administration.
Now it is necessary for Seoul and Washington to have closer coordination and consultations on various issues ranging from the upcoming Trump-Kim summit, the denuclearization of the North and bilateral trade. Therefore, both sides can have better communication through each other's ambassador. This is particularly important as Pyongyang threatened to cancel the summit last week, citing joint air drills and the "unilateral" U.S. push for immediate and complete denuclearization of the North.
Despite expectations for Harris, we still cannot brush aside some concerns about him because he is seen as a hawk. His nomination came after Trump appointed two hard-liners: Mike Pompeo as secretary of state and John Bolton as national security adviser. At a congressional hearing in March, Harris expressed doubts about the prospects of the upcoming summit. Earlier he called for increasing economic and diplomatic sanctions on the North until the country dismantles its nuclear arsenal.
Harris may find it difficult to stick to such a hard-line stance if he takes over the ambassadorship. He should tap his extensive knowledge, leadership and geopolitical expertise to be a good diplomat who can contribute to the alliance and partnership between the two countries.
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