Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.
US ambassadorial vacancy could send bad message: experts
President Moon Jae-in presents outgoing U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris with a farewell gift of Andong soju at Cheong Wa Dae, Jan. 19. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae
By Kang Seung-woo
Ambassador appointment after South Korean presidential election would be mistake
By Kang Seung-woo
Amid a lengthy absence of a U.S. ambassador to South Korea, diplomatic observers are expressing disappointment that U.S. President Joe Biden, who is moving fast to reinvigorate its alliances and partnerships after the tumult of Donald Trump's presidency, has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea, adding that the vacancy could deliver a negative message in terms of South Korea-U.S. relations.
In addition, they also concurred that it would not be desirable for the U.S. to push back the appointment until after the South Korean presidential election in March after which the stance of a new administration will be more clearly defined.
According to the American Foreign Service Association, Biden has appointed officials to 80 out of 190 U.S. ambassadorial posts since his inauguration, Jan. 20.
Since the last U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Harry Harris, resigned and left the country on Jan. 20, the post has remained unfilled, with U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Korea Christopher Del Corso currently serving as acting ambassador.
However, the extended vacancy is raising speculation that the U.S. having no nominee for South Korea reflects Washington's frustration with Seoul's policy position and gives cause for concerns about their alliance or the Asian ally's “downgraded” importance to the U.S. Additionally, last week's Senate confirmations of its ambassadors to China and Japan are adding fuel to such concerns here.
“I think it is very disappointing that the Biden administration has yet to appoint an ambassador to South Korea. There have been unnecessary holdups in the Senate to confirm nominees but that is no excuse for not nominating someone,” U.S. Naval War College Professor Terence Roehrig said.
“I doubt it's any sort of payback for U.S. disappointment with any South Korean policy position, but it is very disconcerting given the administration's efforts to revitalize U.S. relations with allies and partners.”
Daniel Sneider, a lecturer on international policy at Stanford University, also said, “I am deeply disappointed that this nomination has not been made yet, given Korea's importance to the United States as a key ally, and its strategic role, not only in Asia but globally.”
He added: “This should be a priority for an administration that claims to want to make the Asia Pacific region the central focus of American foreign policy.”
Harry Kazianis, senior director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest, said the Biden administration had proven that the Korean Peninsula was not a major focus in their overall foreign policy thinking.
“This has been proven in the clumsy way in which the administration's new Korea policy was rolled out to now having no ambassador in Seoul,” Kazianis said.
“Simply put: the Biden administration has settled for a status-quo on the peninsula whereby North Korea can have nuclear weapons as long as it does not test ICBMs or atomic arms. And that is a grave mistake that could come back to haunt Washington in the months and years to come.”
Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst now with the Rand Corporation, said it was not a good sign for the alliance between South Korea and the U.S.
“It certainly does not reflect the best when it comes to perceptions about U.S.-ROK relations. In fact, the extended vacancy may even perpetuate suspicions or doubts about the bilateral relations,” she said. The ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
“It may signal to the South Koreans that Seoul's importance to Washington has been 'downgraded' somewhat ― particularly when compared to U.S. relations with Japan, for instance. That Washington has named an ambassador to one key Asian ally while leaving the other vacant raises eyebrows among some, without a doubt.”
She also said the extended vacancy may be a U.S. effort to signal to South Korea its position on some of the more strategically decisive issues the Moon Jae-in administration has taken.
In fact, President Moon said earlier this month that South Korea was not considering joining the U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, while preserving a balancing act between the U.S. and China due to the latter's status as Seoul's largest trading partner.
“Seoul's decisions ― and even reticence ― on some of the touchier issues gave cause for concerns about the state of the alliance. On matters where alignment between Washington and Seoul actually counted ― North Korea's nukes, Seoul being able to stand up to China more firmly, the Moon administration's position on human rights in North Korea, for instance ― the Moon administration had decided to sit back or pursue steps that were counterproductive to alliance interests,” she said.
“This may not have been well-received by the Biden administration.”
Kim also said that South Korea had to pick up on these signals and take the right steps to rectify relations with Washington.
“Thus far, the Moon administration has taken steps that give cause for concern about the state of the alliance ― rather than allaying these worries,” she added.
Sneider also said the delayed nomination may be due to the U.S. government's practice of sending career diplomats to South Korea given that the post is also required to deal with the sensitive issue of North Korea's nuclear programs.
“I am aware that they would like to give this post to a career diplomat, as has been the case until recently, and are looking for someone who is senior enough to fill this important position,” he said.
“Despite the pledges from Secretary Blinken and others to make more appointments at the senior level from the ranks of the Foreign Service, we still see way too many political appointees. Korea has traditionally been a post where deep career experience is seen as essential and I hope that continues to be the case.”
Election issue
Amid the extended delay, there is speculation that the U.S. government may nominate its ambassador to South Korea after its presidential election, scheduled for March 9, 2022.
But the experts said that would be a mistake.
“It is also a mistake to wait until after the March presidential election to nominate an ambassador; the election has nothing to do with the importance of having a high-level U.S. representative on the ground in Seoul,” Roehrig said.
“Moreover, having nominees for Japan and China but not South Korea sends a very bad message; close U.S.-South Korea relations are crucial and should be treated as such.”
Kazianis expressed a similar view.
“I think waiting until a new president comes to Blue House is a mistake,” he said, referring to the nickname of the South Korean presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. “Any new ambassador needs time to form relationships with his colleagues in the government he is working with. Waiting over a year after Biden took the oath of office as president makes Korea look like a part of the world he does not care about. And, sadly, that seems to be the case these days.”
However, Kim said a post-election appointment may be conducive to the alliance although it depends on who takes command of Cheong Wa Dae.
“If the Biden administration appoints a new ROK ambassador after Seoul's presidential election, perhaps it could help in resuscitating the alliance ― a much-needed breath of fresh air between the two countries,” she said.
But she added that this will also hinge upon what kind of government is elected in March and the new government's position on the alliance.
“If the new government is merely a perpetuation of the Moon government's ethos, then alliance relations will remain tenuous ― or be even rockier,” Kim said.
The U.S. Embassy here did not comment on the ambassadorial vacancy issue when contacted by The Korea Times.