Trump drops Victor Cha as ambassador to South Korea
By Kim Rahn
Victor Cha
The Donald Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination of Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as its ambassador to South Korea, media reports said Wednesday.
They said the withdrawal came as Cha had a rift with the White House over the latter’s measures on the North Korean nuclear threat and the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
It is quite unusual for a pick for ambassador to be withdrawn after the host country approved of the nomination.
With the withdrawal, it is unclear when the position of U.S. ambassador to Seoul, which has remained empty for over one year, can be filled, amid a situation when strong South Korea-U.S. cooperation is required to deter North Korea’s nuclear threats.
Reuters reported, quoting U.S. officials, that Cha was no longer being considered for the post. “The White House has moved on to other potential candidates,” the news agency quoted one as saying.
The Washington Post also said the former White House official under the George W. Bush administration was dropped after privately expressing disagreement in December with the Trump administration’s North Korea policy.
According to the newspaper, Cha raised his concerns with National Security Council officials over their considering a limited strike on North Korea, a concept known as the “bloody nose” strategy, which experts warn could bring about the North’s retaliation especially against South Korea.
He also expressed concerns over the administration’s threats to break the FTA with Seoul, the daily reported.
Political pundits say the withdrawal may signal the Trump administration’s plans to take a harder stance on North Korea and trade issues.
It was first reported in August that Cha might fill the ambassador post following Mark Lippert who left Seoul last January. And in December, Washington requested Seoul’s approval of Cha’s nomination, which was given soon after. Some government sources here said then that Cha could be appointed before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics if the Senate confirmed his appointment quickly.
But the U.S. government did not follow through even after Seoul’s approval.
Since Lippert’s retirement, concerns have risen as the key communication channel between the allies continues to remain vacant, while tension on the Korean Peninsula has been escalating along with North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats. Charge d’Affaires Marc Knapper has been filling in as acting ambassador so far.
Considering the time it took for the U.S. to pick Cha for the ambassador post, it may take at least another half-year to select a new candidate.
“We have yet to nominate anyone for the post, but it is our intention to do so as soon as we find the appropriate candidate,” the Washington Post quoted another U.S. official as saying.